Grizzlies Win Seventh Straight, Clinch Series Over Boomers
Published on July 19, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies erased a 5-1 deficit in the bottom of the fifth inning with a wild, nine-run frame, and held the lead from there on out in a 12-7 victory over the Schaumburg Boomers on Saturday night at Arsenal BG Ballpark, notching their seventh win in a row.
After Gateway's series-opening win on Friday night, the Boomers batted around in the top of the second inning against Gage Vailes, scoring the game's first four runs on five total hits. The Grizzlies would get a run back on a two-out RBI single by Jose Alvarez to make it 4-1, but Schaumburg turned a leadoff hit-by-pitch from Claudio Galva (5-1) into a fifth run in the top of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Calarco.
That is where the score stayed until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the craziness began with a bloop double by Cole Brannen to left field on an 0-2 pitch by Boomers starter Derek Salata (4-5). Alvarez followed with a walk, and Abdiel Diaz fought Salata for 10 pitches before hitting a ground ball up the first base line that was mishandled for an error by Calarco, loading the bases with no outs. Mark Shallenberger then hit a ball to the shifted second baseman Will Prater, who tossed the ball towards second base to try and begin a double-play. His throw ended up in the Schaumburg bullpen for another error, allowing everyone on base to come in to score and drawing the Grizzlies within 5-4.
The next batter, D.J. Stewart, hit a ground ball to third base, and Andrew Sojka's throw to first skipped away from Calarco for the third Boomers error in a row, scoring Shallenberger from second base and tying the game at 5-5. After Victor Castillo reached first base on a bunt single, and Dale Thomas struck out for the first out of the inning, Edwin Mateo came up with his second go-ahead hit of the series, an infield single to first base that put the Grizzlies up 6-5.
Remarkably, things did not end there. After a pitching change and another strikeout, a passed ball on Sam Kuchinski made the score 7-5, and Brannen battled Nick Paciorek for seven pitches before cracking a deep, two-run home run to right field to make it 9-5 Gateway. Alvarez and Diaz then earned singles, and a balk by Paciorek capped the ridiculous, nine-run inning for the Grizzlies after six hits, three errors, and 12 total batters sent to the plate.
From there, Gateway was able to plate two more runs on solo shots to right field in the sixth and eighth innings by Stewart to complete their scoring, giving the all-star his 12th and 13th long balls of the season and the Grizzlies their fifth and sixth homers of the series. Sojka would also finish the Boomers' scoring with a deep two-run home run in the top of the eighth, but it was not enough to deny the Grizzlies their 20th come-from-behind win or their first series victory over Schaumburg on the year.
Now ahead of the Boomers by one game in first place in the West Division standings, Gateway will go for the three-game sweep on Sunday night at Arsenal BG Ballpark, sending Bennett Stice to the hill against Schaumburg all-star Cole Cook. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT.
Frontier League Stories from July 19, 2025
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- Thunderbolts Drop Middle Game to Joliet - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Grizzlies Win Seventh Straight, Clinch Series Over Boomers - Gateway Grizzlies
- 'Cats Drop Heartbreaker in Sudden Death - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Lake Erie Bounces Back with 9-2 Win Over Evansville - Lake Erie Crushers
- Larson, Gray Stellar; Titans Secure Series Victory - Ottawa Titans
- Big Inning Sinks Boomers at Gateway - Schaumburg Boomers
- Early Offense Not Enough in Middle Game - Evansville Otters
- Boulders Rally for Win on "Beach Bash" Night - New York Boulders
- Mud Monsters Drop Game Two Of Series - Mississippi Mud Monsters
- Bird Dawgs Stifled by Quebec - Down East Bird Dawgs
- Gamelin Shoves, Offense Cruises to Win - Florence Y'alls
- Early Offense Not Sustained, Miners Even Series - Washington Wild Things
- Joliet Searching for Momentum After All Star Break - Joliet Slammers
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