Grizzlies Stumble in Loss to Slammers
August 13, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Sauget, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies fell behind 6-0 early on Saturday against the Joliet Slammers, then 9-3 after getting on the board themselves, and despite scoring three runs in the eighth and bringing the tying run to the plate in the eighth and ninth, they lost the middle game of the weekend series 9-6 at Grizzlies Ballpark.
The Slammers got on the board with a two-out, two-run double by Liam McArthur in the top of the second inning against Parker Johnson (0-3), and scored four times in the third inning to knock the rookie right-hander out of the game in the third on home runs by G.J. Hill and Broc Mortensen.
Down 6-0, the Grizzlies rallied with three singles and four stolen bases in the bottom of the third, with Jairus Richards driving in two with one of the hits before stealing second and third base, coming in on a throwing error by Slammers catcher Phil Steering on the latter to make it 6-3.
Joliet was able to expand the lead in the fifth, however, loading the bases for a Christian Fedko walk to make it 7-3. Steering then reached on a two-out error by D.J. Stewart to bring in two more runs and give the visitors a 9-6 advantage.
The Grizzlies would not rally until the bottom of the eighth, when Kyle Gaedele smacked his fourth home run of the home stand to left field off Brad VanAsdlen to make it 9-4. Stewart then reached on an error by McArthur in left field, and Mark Vierling followed with an infield single, with the second Joliet error of the inning on Fedko's wide throw to first base bringing Stewart in and sending Vierling to second base. Richards then doubled off the center field wall to cut the deficit to 9-6, and the Grizzlies got a walk from Eric Rivera to bring the tying run to the plate.
But Jared Liebelt got out of the jam by getting a flyout to end the inning, and in the ninth, would secure the win after Gateway got back-to-back singles to bring the tying run to the plate once more by striking out Stewart and getting a lineout to second base off the bat of Alex Hernandez, ending the game.
The Grizzlies will look to bounce back in the finale of their home stand on Sunday, August 13, at 5:45 p.m. CT. Collin Sullivan is scheduled to start for Gateway against Joliet's Ricky Castro at Grizzlies Ballpark in the rubber game of the three-game series.
• Discuss this story on the Frontier League message board...
Frontier League Stories from August 13, 2023
- ValleyCats' Pitching Quiets Jackals for Series Win - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Larson Backs Titans to Split in Doubleheader, Season-Series Win - Ottawa Titans
- Bolts Swept by Boomers 7-1 - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Boomers Sweep Windy City - Schaumburg Boomers
- Smith Leads Otters to Shutout of Wild Things - Evansville Otters
- Y'alls Spoil Crushers Sweep in Series Finale - Lake Erie Crushers
- Wild Things Drop Finale Despite Late Battle - Washington Wild Things
- Y'alls Salvage Series with Back-And-Forth Win - Florence Y'alls
- Tri-City Completes the Comeback with Sudden Death Victory - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Grizzlies Stumble in Loss to Slammers - Gateway Grizzlies
- Wild Things Rally to Down Otters - Evansville Otters
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
