Grizzlies Lose Slugfest to Florence
May 27, 2025 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies came all the way back from down 8-2 after five innings of play on Tuesday night at Arsenal BG Ballpark, tying the game in the bottom of the eighth inning at 9-9, but surrendered two home runs with two outs in the top of the ninth in a 13-9 loss to the Florence Y'alls, the club's third defeat in a row.
Florence grabbed the early advantage on a two-run home run by Hector Nieves in the top of the second inning off Teague Conrad, and the Grizzlies answered that deficit with a two-run home run of their own off the bat of Jose Alvarez in the bottom of the third inning, tying the score at 2-2.
Florence would then score one run in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Nieves again to go ahead 3-2, and would bat around and score five times in the top of the fifth inning, including a two-run single by Sam Morris and an error with two outs that brought in all three runners on base at the time. That made the score 8-2 Y'alls, but again, the Grizzlies would respond.
In the bottom of the sixth, the rally began on an error that allowed D.J. Stewart to reach base. After a strikeout, Dale Thomas singled, and two batters later, with two outs, Ross Friedrick came up with a two-run single that made it an 8-4 game and chased Florence starter Evan Webster. After the pitching change, Alvarez and Gabe Holt drew back-to-back walks off Ty Good, with a pickoff error scoring Friedrick and making the score 8-5. Victor Castillo would then cap the frame by rocketing a two-run double to right-center field that brought the Grizzlies within 8-7.
Matt Hickey would surrender a two-out RBI single of his own in the top of the eighth, but now down 9-7 in the frame, Gateway would respond yet again. After a walk with one out, the Y'alls made another pitching change, and Castillo hit a long fly ball to right field that got out over the wall for a two-run home run, giving him four RBIs in the game, and tying the score at 9-9, officially completing the comeback from six runs down just two innings prior.
But in the ninth, after Francis Peguero (0-1) got the first two batters out, Hank Zeisler crushed a solo home run to right field to make it 10-9, and following a double and a walk, Zade Richardson launched a three-run homer to left-center field to put the game away, and send the Grizzlies to their first series-opening loss of the year.
Gateway will look to end their losing skid at three games on Wednesday, May 28, when they host the Y'alls in the middle game of the three-game series in Sauget. Alvery De Los Santos will pitch for the Grizzlies against Florence left-hander Jonaiker Villalobos, with the game scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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