Grizzlies Stop Slammers in Series Opener
Published on July 23, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
JOLIET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies got back in the win column on Tuesday night in dramatic fashion, with the tying run thrown out at the plate to complete a game-ending double-play, preserving a 2-1 victory at Slammers Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd.
For the second time this season, Ben Harris and Joliet's C.J. Blowers engaged in a pitcher's duel, holding the opposition scoreless for the first three innings.
Harris struck out six batters in his first three frames, and in the top of the fourth, it was a leadoff walk by D.J. Stewart that opened the door for the Grizzlies to score the game's first run. Stewart stole second base, and Victor Castillo followed with a well-placed bunt single to advance the lead run to third base with no outs. Dale Thomas then came through with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Grizzlies, and although Gateway was able to score just the lone run in the frame, they would hold the lead until the bottom of the seventh.
In the meantime, the Slammers set a Guinness world record with 2,600 hot dogs dropped from a helicopter at the end of the fifth inning. After the long promotional delay, Alvery De Los Santos tossed a scoreless sixth inning in relief of Harris, and Leoni De La Cruz (2-1) got the first two batters he faced out in the seventh. But Blake Berry then hit a seeing-eye single down the third base line, stole second, and scored on a close play at the plate on an RBI single by Bryan Belo, knotting the score at 1-1.
The Grizzlies, however, got right back on the horse. Mark Shallenberger was hit by a pitch leading off the eighth by Cameron Smith (2-2), and went to second base on a wild pitch. Castillo then came up with the go-ahead hit down the right field line to make it 2-1 Grizzlies. Matt Hickey followed by working around a leadoff bunt single in the bottom of the eighth, and Gateway was retired in order in the top of the ninth, setting up the dramatic finish.
All-star Alec Whaley came on for the save, but walked Antonio Valdez leading off the inning, putting the tying run aboard. Whaley came back to strike out Brandon Heidal, but walked Berry to put the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on base. Belo was up next, and he hit a ground ball to Gabe Holt at second base, who threw the ball to first base to get the second out. But Valdez tried to score on the play, and Shallenberger fired a perfect strike to Matthew Lee, with the rookie catcher making his Gateway debut tagging Valdez out at the plate to end the game.
Having won their eighth game in their last nine and improved to 6-0 this year against Joliet, the Grizzlies will have a quick turnaround for game two of the mid-week series, as they take on the Slammers at 10:05 a.m. CT on Wednesday, July 23. Both teams' starters are to be determined.
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