Grizzlies Rally Late Again to Sweep Joliet
July 7, 2022 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Joliet, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies broke a 3-3 tie with two outs in the seventh inning on Jay Prather's RBI single, and took the lead for good in what became a 5-4 win over the Joliet Slammers at Duly Health and Care Field, sweeping the road series to get back over .500 at 25-24 and pass Joliet in the standings on Thursday night.
The Grizzlies scored first, and quickly, off Joliet starter Cole Cook, as Andrew Penner and Isaac Benard led off the game with hits. Zach Racusin then brought Penner in on a ground ball to second base, and two batters later, Prather came up with what would end up as the first of two RBI singles with two outs in the game as the Grizzlies took a 2-0 advantage. They would add on to it in the third inning when Racusin scored Benard from second base on another RBI single for a 3-0 lead.
Justin Ferrell had retired the first six batters he faced, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the third, walking two in the inning before Scott Holzwasser tied the game on a three-run, two-out home run at 3-3. He then pitched a scoreless fourth inning to keep it tied, and Jared Milch (1-0) pitched two more scoreless frames to hold down the Slammers' offense.
In the seventh, with two outs against Tanner Kiest (1-2), the Grizzlies rallied. Racusin and Trevor Achenbach both drew walks to set up Prather, who lined the go-ahead base hit into left field to make it 4-3. Thanks to more stellar work by the Grizzlies' bullpen, they held that lead, and Benard hit a solo home run to left field to expand it to 5-3 going to the bottom of the ninth.
That would prove to be the winning run, as John Murphy allowed a solo home run to Carson Maxwell leading off the bottom of the ninth, but the right-hander struck out the next three Slammers hitters to secure his second save of the series and the sweep for Gateway.
The Grizzlies got double-digit hits as a team for the third-straight game for the first time since May, with Benard leading the way with a 3-for-5 night including two doubles and a home run. Prather and Racusin also enjoyed two-hit and two-RBI nights in the victory.
Gateway will next travel to Avon, Ohio to begin a three-game series against the Lake Erie Crushers on Friday, July 8, at 6:05 p.m. CT. Carson LaRue will pitch in the series opener for the Grizzlies against former Gateway hurler Matt Mulhearn at Mercy Health Stadium.
• Discuss this story on the Frontier League message board...
Frontier League Stories from July 7, 2022
- Dennis' 4 Rbi Give Boulders Series Win vs. Miners - New York Boulders
- Otters' Comeback Falls Short as Win Streak Ends - Evansville Otters
- Greene Stars as Titans Take Series over Jackals - Ottawa Titans
- Grizzlies Rally Late Again to Sweep Joliet - Gateway Grizzlies
- Boomers Put Brakes on Evansville's Win Streak - Schaumburg Boomers
- Quebec Offense Dominates 'Cats in Series Finale - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Dennis' 4 RBI Give Boulders Series Win vs. Miners - New York Boulders
- Alvarez Shines as Crushers Sweep Y'alls - Lake Erie Crushers
- Lake Erie Shuts Out Y'alls - Florence Y'alls
- Otters Earn Ninth Straight Win in Gritty Effort - Evansville Otters
- Boomers Edged in Evansville - Schaumburg Boomers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
