Grizzlies Settle for Series Victory, Win Streak Halted
July 20, 2025 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies had a chance to sweep the Schaumburg Boomers on Sunday night, but fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and were not able to recover in a 5-2 loss at Arsenal BG Ballpark, snapping their seven-game win streak and dropping them back into a first-place tie in the West Division.
Bennett Stice (2-1) struggled right away in the game, as a leadoff walk followed by three straight hits and a double play plated three runs for the Boomers to put Gateway into an early multi-run deficit. The right-hander would bounce back and end up pitching six innings in the contest, but Schaumburg would also add single runs in the third on an RBI single with two outs by Christian Fedko, and the fourth on a short-porch solo shot by Banks Tolley, making the score 5-0.
A shorthanded Gateway lineup, meanwhile, struggled to muster any offense against Cole Cook (6-3). In the bottom of the fifth, the Grizzlies were able to get on the board when Cole Brannen doubled with one out, and ended up scoring on a two-out RBI single by Gabe Holt off the glove of the shortstop to make the score 5-1. In the next inning, Paxton Wallace got his third hit of the game against his former Boomers teammate with a solo home run to left field, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
After Cook departed, the Grizzlies also made a push in the bottom of the eighth against the Boomers' bullpen, loading the bases on a walk and two hit batters to put the tying run on first with just one out. But Dylan Stutsman got out of the jam with a strikeout and a flyout, and after a leadoff single by Holt in the ninth against Mitch White, a double play and another flyout ended the game, sealing only the Grizzlies' fourth loss in their last 19 games overall.
The Grizzlies ended up outhitting the Boomers for the third night in a row in the series, but could not come up with the big hit all night, stranding 11 runners on base, their most in a loss this year.
Having still won the series against Schaumburg, Gateway will look to bounce back on the road against the other two Chicagoland teams in the West Division, beginning a six-game trip on Tuesday, July 22, with the first of a three-game series against the Joliet Slammers. Ben Harris will make the start for Gateway against Joliet left-hander C.J. Blowers, with first pitch at Slammers Stadium scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT.
Frontier League Stories from July 20, 2025
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