Grizzlies Roast Crushers, Win Series
Published on July 26, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies beat the heat and the Lake Erie Crushers on a scorching Sunday afternoon at Arsenal BG Ballpark, riding another complete team performance to a 9-1 victory.
With temperatures soaring into the high 90s and the heat index well into triple digits, Gateway took advantage of the conditions right from the jump in the rubber game, scoring six runs in the first inning and bouncing Crushers starter Alex Garbrick (0-2) from the game before the inning could conclude.
Bryson Horne stayed white-hot with another home run, his 15th of the year, to set the tone, clubbing a three-run blast over the left field wall for a 3-0 lead. Singles by Jose Cordoba and Sawyer Smith followed, with those two eventually scoring on a two-run double by Cole Brannen, bringing the first-inning lead to 5-0. Brennan Orf then scored on a wild pitch for the sixth run of the inning, finishing off yet another early crooked number frame for the Grizzlies offense.
Another crooked number at bat came in the fourth inning. José Alvarez and Cordoba both collected their second hits of the game before Smith shot an RBI double to right field to extend the lead to 7-0. Orf then scored Cordoba and Smith with a two-out, two-run single to bring the game to a 9-0 advantage.
All of that run support went to starter Gage Vailes (4-2), who bounced back on the hill in his second outing of the week. The All-Star right-hander fired six shutout innings with five strikeouts, earning his first win since June. Lake Erie would get a solo home run by Pavin Parks to avoid being shut out for the second game in a row, but it was too little and too late to change the final result, as Gateway notched their first home series win since early June.
Now back to three games under .500 on the season, following an off day on Monday, the Grizzlies begin a crucial week in their schedule in Sauget on Tuesday, July 28, hosting the Windy City ThunderBolts at Arsenal BG Ballpark with the teams separated by just one game in the West Division standings. First pitch in the series opener is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Frontier League Stories from July 26, 2026
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