Grizzlies Win Fourth Straight Game, Beat Slammers
May 27, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Sauget, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break open a back-and-forth game on Saturday night against the Joliet Slammers, and got five RBIs from Peter Zimmermann in beating the visitors 11-6 to win their fourth straight contest and clinch the weekend series at Grizzlies Ballpark.
It was Joliet that took the initial lead against Joey Gonzalez (2-1) in the top of the first inning when Scott Holzwasser hit a solo home run for a 1-0 Slammers advantage. That lead lasted until the bottom of the second, when Jairus Richards came up with a runner on base and crushed a two-run home run out of the ballpark to right-center field, making it 2-1 Grizzlies.
J.P. Fullerton answered back with a solo home run in the top of the third inning to make it 2-2, but Gateway responded again with two runs in the bottom half for a 4-2 lead, including Zimmermann's first RBI on a single that scored Eric Rivera, and a subsequent sacrifice fly by D.J. Stewart.
Gonzalez then worked around a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fourth by recording two straight strikeouts, and in the bottom of the frame, the Grizzlies' offense put up yet another big rally. Rivera started the scoring with an RBI single to make it 5-2, and with the bases loaded two batters later, Zimmermann smacked a grand slam home run out to right field to make it 9-2. Andrew Penner followed two pitches later against Slammers starter Tyler Jay (1-2) with a solo home run of his own to increase the lead to 10-2 and cap the big inning.
Gateway added a run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Gabe Holt to make it 11-3, and though Joliet hit two home runs in the top of the ninth inning and scored three times, it was not enough as Gateway improved to 6-2 at Grizzlies Ballpark.
The 11-run outburst marked the third-straight game the Grizzlies had put up 10 runs or more, with six Grizzlies in total recording two-hit games, led by Zimmermann's 2-for-5 showing including a career-best-tying five RBIs. Gonzalez pitched a "quality start" as well, allowing three runs over six innings while striking out eight.
The Grizzlies will go for a three-game sweep on Sunday, May 28, at 1:05 p.m., with Lukas Veinbergs drawing the starting assignment on the mound.
• Discuss this story on the Frontier League message board...
Frontier League Stories from May 27, 2023
- Smart, Thomas Lead Titans to Victory - Ottawa Titans
- Crushers Drop 5 of Last 6 - Lose to Miners 10-3 - Lake Erie Crushers
- Grizzlies Win Fourth Straight Game, Beat Slammers - Gateway Grizzlies
- Czech's 5 RBI, Walk-Off Double Lifts Wild Things in Middle Game - Washington Wild Things
- Miners Cruise Past Lake Erie - Sussex County Miners
- Otters Fall in Seesaw Battle to Capitales - Evansville Otters
- ValleyCats Drop Slugfest in the Tenth - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Pitcher Kyle Johnson's Contract Sold to Chicago Cubs - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Y'alls Rebound, Even Series with 6-1 Victory - Florence Y'alls
- Official 2023 Season Preview - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Nine-Run Seventh Sends Boomers to Series Win - Schaumburg Boomers
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.
