Grizzlies Take Opener from Lake Erie
June 21, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Sauget, Ill. - The Gateway Grizzlies came home after a triumphant series in Washington and found themselves in yet another nail-bitingly close game against the Lake Erie Crushers at Grizzlies Ballpark on Friday night. But they persevered, going ahead for good in the seventh inning before holding the lead late in a 4-3 win.
Deylen Miley was outstanding yet again at home, as the right-hander struck out nine and walked just two while setting a new career-high with six and one-third innings pitched. Lake Erie got the game's first run off him in the third when former Grizzlie Jack Harris doubled with one out, and then stole home later in the inning in a designed double-steal with Burle Dixon, making the score 1-0 Crushers.
Gateway would equalize in the fourth inning against Darrien Ragins, with D.J. Stewart doubling to left-center field with one out, moving to third base on a balk, and scoring two batters later on a wild pitch, evening the score at 1-1. In the sixth, the Grizzlies would take their first lead, as Tate Wargo extended his hit streak to eight games in a row on a one-out single, and went to second on another balk by Ragins. Kyle Gaedele then came up clutch with a rocket RBI double into the left field corner, making the score 2-1.
Lake Erie would get the score even again right away, as Miley surrendered a short-porch solo home run to Alfredo Gonzalez to make it a 2-2 contest. The Grizzlies starter would depart after Jarrod Watkins' bunt single with one out in favor of Alec Whaley (1-0), who would get out of the jam by inducing a double play.
In the bottom of the seventh, a leadoff two-base error on a dropped popup by Lake Erie second baseman Alex Epp allowed Cole Brannen to reach base against the Crushers' Cal Carver (1-1). Two batters later, after Brannen had stolen third base, Peter Zimmermann hit a ground ball to the drawn-in Watkins at shortstop, with Brannen's hand just getting across home plate ahead of the tag by John Tuccillo to put Gateway up 3-2. Two batters later, with runners at first and second base and one out, Abdiel Diaz smacked a high-bouncing infield single into no-man's land on a hit-and-run, plating Zimmermann to make the score 4-2.
That would turn out to be the game-winning run as well, as Whaley loaded the bases with no one out on three straight singles leading off the top of the eighth, but got a huge double play ball from Scout Knotts for the first two outs, plating a run but keeping the Grizzlies ahead 4-3. The veteran side-armer then got Tuccillo to bounce out to second base to end the threat.
In the ninth, Matt Hickey was called upon for the save, and despite the Crushers getting a single from Watkins and a walk from Ronald Washington, putting the tying and potential lead runs on base, he retired the side with a pair of strikeouts, as the Grizzlies won back-to-back games for the first time this month as well as their fifth straight series-opening contest.
The Grizzlies will look to make it three wins in a row on Saturday, June 22, in the middle game of the series against the Crushers at 6:30 p.m. CT. Kaleb Hill will look to continue a strong start to his pro career on the mound for Gateway against former Grizzlie and Webster University right-hander Matt Mulhearn, who will pitch for Lake Erie.
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, four 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 2024 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.
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Frontier League Stories from June 21, 2024
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