Grizzlies Lose Fourth Straight Game at Sussex County
Published on July 21, 2023 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Augusta Township, NJ - The Gateway Grizzlies were down 3-2 going into the top of the seventh inning of a back-and-forth series opener against the Sussex County Miners, but saw the home team score nine runs in their final two turns at bat in what became a 12-3 blowout loss at Skylands Stadium.
Collin Sullivan (7-3) was in total control early in the contest, as he held the Miners hitless for the first four innings while striking out six and facing the minimum amount of batters. Gateway was also able to get the first run of the game across in the top of the fourth after having chances with men on base in the first three innings against Jose Ledesma, Jr., with Mark Vierling drawing a bases-loaded walk to make it 1-0 Grizzlies.
But the Miners would tie the score shortly after getting their first hits in the bottom of the fifth, with Johnny Hipsman's sacrifice fly tying the game at 1-1. Then, with two outs, Anthony Gomez hit a ground ball that kicked off the glove of D.J. Stewart and caromed into center field, with the infield hit putting Sussex County ahead 2-1.
The Grizzlies responded the very next half inning when Abdiel Diaz drove an RBI double into the gap to make it 2-2. But Sussex County again took the lead with two outs in the bottom half on Juan Santana's RBI double at 3-2, and after Gateway had runners at first and third with no outs in the top of the seventh, but could not score, the Miners began to break the game open by scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame, taking a 6-2 lead in an inning that featured two walks and a pair of wild pitches as well as an error.
In the eighth, the Miners would bat around and score six more times for the final margin, as Gateway stranded 11 runners on base in total, with nine of them being left at either second or third base, continuing to struggle with men in scoring position in losing their fourth straight contest overall.
The Grizzlies will try and put an end to the streak on Saturday, July 22, at 5:05 p.m. CT when they face the Miners in the middle game of the weekend series at Skylands Stadium. Joey Gonzalez will start the game for Gateway against fellow experienced right-hander Tyler Thornton for Sussex County.
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