Grizzlies Roll to Second Straight Win
Published on May 24, 2019 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
WASHINGTON, Pa. - The Gateway Grizzlies scored three runs in the second inning and two more in the fourth to run out to a 5-0 lead Friday night and never looked back in a 8-4 victory over the Washington Wild Things in the series opener at Wild Things Park.
Gateway (7-6) won its second straight game to climb back above the .500 mark; the Grizzlies will play for their first three-game winning streak of the season Saturday. Gateway had dropped its first four series openers of the year before Friday's triumph.
Luke Lowery doubled to lead off the second inning and brought his hitting streak to a team-best seven straight games after starting the season 1-for-20 at the plate. Connor Owings followed with a walk before Rafael Valera brought in a run with a single, Jamey Smart drove home a second with a sacrifice fly, and Anthony Ray made it 3-0 with an RBI single of his own.
Brent Sakurai chipped in an RBI walk in the fourth and Shawon Dunston Jr. added an RBi fielder's choice.
Washington (3-11) dropped its second in a row and fell to 1-6 at home in 2019.
After the Wild Things scored two of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Grizzlies battled back with a pair in the sixth on a Sakurai RBI double and another Dunston Jr. fielder's choice.
Dunston Jr. polished off the Grizzlies' win with a solo home run to right field in the ninth. It was his second of the season and his first since opening weekend. He drove in three and stole two bases to go with the big fly and a walk.
Jason Seever (1-0) earned the win with two innings of scoreless relief work. He has yet to allow a run in nine innings out of the Grizzlies' bullpen, despite the fact that they asked him to throw 42 pitches Friday after he threw 10 on Thursday and 16 on Wednesday.
Grant Black struck out all three Wild Things he faced in the bottom of the ninth, although it was no longer a save situation with the Grizzlies ahead 8-4.
Gateway and Washington are scheduled for game two of the three-game series Saturday at 6:05 p.m. CDT.
Frontier League Stories from May 24, 2019
- Crushers Knock out ThunderBolts with Big Ninth Inning - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Rascals Take Opener over Otters - River City Rascals
- Wild Things Comeback Effort Halted in Series Opener - Washington Wild Things
- Miners Lose Heartbreaker at Florence in Extras - Southern Illinois Miners
- Grizzlies Roll to Second Straight Win - Gateway Grizzlies
- Rozek and Boomers Shut Down Joliet - Schaumburg Boomers
- Lake Erie Avoids Sweep Against Schaumburg - Lake Erie Crushers
- Otters Grab Early Lead, But Grizzlies Avoid Sweep - Evansville Otters
- Doubleheader Split Nets Series Win for Freedom - Florence Y'alls
- Boomers Drop First Extra-Inning Affair - Schaumburg Boomers
- Grizzlies Salvage Series with 9-3 Win - Gateway Grizzlies
- Washington Splits Doubleheader with Florence - Washington Wild Things
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