Grizzlies Squeak by Miners to Sweep Series
September 3, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, Ill. - After nearly eight complete innings of scoreless baseball with 22 total runners left on base, the Grizzlies finally scratched across a run in the eighth as they completed a sweep of the Southern Illinois Miners with a 1-0 win on Thursday night at GCS Ballpark.
Grant Buckner led off the eighth with a single against Southern Illinois RHP Evan Mott (5-4). After a sacrifice bunt and grounder to second base, he stood on third with two outs. Cody Livesay stepped in and hit a bouncing ball of Mott's glove that trickled away for an infield single. The hit allowed Buckner to score the game's first run.
The Miners (61-32) got the tying run on base with nobody out in the top half of the ninth against Gateway RHP JaVaun West, who then proceeded to retire the next three batters in a row to end the game. West picked up his second pro save.
The Grizzlies (42-50) received a dazzling performance from starting pitcher Vince Molesky. The righty went seven innings while allowing no runs and just six hits. He danced in and out of trouble all evening while stranding eight runners on base.
RHP Ross Spurgeon (3-0) picked up the win after a scoreless eighth. Southern Illinois got two runners on base in that inning but again failed to score.
Southern Illinois' Miguel Ramirez dealt six scoreless innings of his own while walking five batters and striking out seven. RHP Shane Street kept the game locked at no score in the seventh.
With the victory, the Grizzlies have now won 12 of 15 and hold a 24-18 record since the Frontier League's all-star break. The Miners came into the series with the Frontier League's best record.
The Grizzlies will begin their final series of 2015 on Friday night as they welcome in the Lake Erie Crushers to GCS Ballpark. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Gateway sends RHP Tyler Thompson (4-5, 3.16 ERA) to the mound. The game can be heard on the Grizzlies Radio Network, which airs on 101 ESPN's digital platforms and 1400 AM KJFF. Sam Levitt and Kevin Schaefer will call the action.
Frontier League Stories from September 3, 2015
- Freedom Win Sixth Straight Series to Reduce Magic Number to Three - Florence Y'alls
- Grizzlies Squeak by Miners to Sweep Series - Gateway Grizzlies
- Crushers defeated by Slammers, 2-0, in home finale - Lake Erie Crushers
- Boomers Fall in Home Finale - Schaumburg Boomers
- Otters Get Swept By Cornbelters, Lose 4-3 - Evansville Otters
- Washington Defeats Shaumburg 4-0 in 11 Innings - Washington Wild Things
- CornBelters Complete Sweep of Otters with 7th Straight Win - Normal CornBelters
- Slammers Blank Crushers 2-0 on Thursday - Joliet Slammers
- ThunderBolts Drop Series in Florence - Windy City ThunderBolts
- September 3 Florence Freedom Game Notes - Florence Y'alls
- Miners' Lopez, Earley, O'Sullivan Earn Postseason Awards - Southern Illinois Miners
- Rascals Have 3 All-Stars, Ard Wins MVP - River City Rascals
- Two Evansville Otters Named to Post-Season All-Star Team - Evansville Otters
- Michael Hur Named to Frontier League Postseason All-Star Team - Rockford Aviators
- Six CornBelters Honored with Postseason Awards - Normal CornBelters
- Freedom Named 2015 Frontier League Organization of the Year - Florence Y'alls
- Normal CornBelters Game Tonight - Normal CornBelters
- Miners Can't Hold Early Lead, Drop Series at Gateway - Southern Illinois Miners
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