Grizzlies Take Down Capitales in First Place Battle
July 28, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Sauget, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies got four runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning, then used home runs to expand their advantage while also getting tremendous pitching in a complete, 12-2 victory over the Québec Capitales on Friday night at Grizzlies Ballpark in a matchup between the first-place teams in the Frontier League's East and West divisions.
After Joey Gonzalez (7-6) got out of a jam in the top of the first inning, the Gateway offense went to work right away against Ruben Ramirez (4-2) in the bottom half. Jairus Richards led off with an infield hit, and after Cole Brannen walked, Peter Zimmermann lined a two-run double into the left field corner, putting the Grizzlies ahead 2-0. Later in the inning, Kyle Gaedele and Mark Vierling notched back-to-back, two-out, RBI hits as the Gateway lead was expanded to 4-0.
Québec got two runs back right away on solo home runs (also back-to-back) from David Glaude and Kyle Crowl in the second inning to slice the lead in half, but that was as close as the Capitales would get in the contest, with Gonzalez navigating his way through five innings to earn the win with four strikeouts, and the Grizzlies' bullpen providing four innings of scoreless relief behind him to hold down the offense from the visitors.
Offensively, Gateway would pour it on with the long ball, with Alex Hernandez's three-run homer with two outs in the third making it a 7-2 game, Abdiel Diaz smacking a two-run shot to right field for a 9-2 lead in the fifth, and Zimmermann crushing a three-run bomb in the eighth for the final 12-2 score, giving the all-star five RBIs on the day and a league-leading 74 on the season.
With the victory, Gateway has now won 11 straight games and 15 of their last 16 at home, and they will look to keep that momentum rolling in the middle game against the Capitales on Saturday, July 29, at 6:45 p.m. CT. Carson LaRue will start on the mound for the Grizzlies against Québec's Steven Fuentes.
The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis in Sauget, Illinois. The Grizzlies offer baseball fans affordable, family fun at Grizzlies Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. They have also won two Frontier League Organization of the Year Awards, three West Division titles, and the 2003 Frontier League Championship. For tickets or general information, please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call (618) 337-3000.
The Frontier League debuted in 1993 and is the largest of the Major League Baseball Partner Leagues, featuring teams stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway. More information and the complete 2023 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.
Frontier League Stories from July 28, 2023
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