Grizzlies Win Third Straight Game
June 22, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Sauget, Ill. - The Gateway Grizzlies got a tie-breaking solo home run by player-coach Kyle Gaedele in the bottom of the fifth inning on Saturday night against the Lake Erie Crushers, scoring what proved to be the game-winning run in a 3-2 ballgame at Grizzlies Ballpark that gave the home team its third straight victory.
Again, the Crushers scored the game's first run, as with runners at first and third base and one out following a pair of infield singles against Kaleb Hill (2-0), Burle Dixon laid down a sacrifice bunt up the first base line to score Vincent Byrd, Jr. and make it 1-0 Lake Erie. But that lead did not last long- in the bottom of the same frame against former Grizzlie Matt Mulhearn (1-3), D.J. Stewart led off with a walk and Tate Wargo extended his hit streak to nine games in a row with a double down the right field line. Jack-Thomas Wold then scored Stewart from third base with an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.
After Gaedele walked to load the bases, Kevin Krause came up with still no outs in the inning, and hit a double-play grounder to shortstop that scored Wargo and put the Grizzlies ahead 2-1. That lead would hold until the top of the fifth, when a leadoff walk to Logan Thomason was cashed in with two outs on Byrd's RBI single to left field, tying the game once again at 2-2.
In the bottom of the inning, Gaedele led off against Mulhearn, and fouled off four straight pitches with two strikes before putting the Grizzlies ahead for good on a solo home run to left field, making the score 3-2 on his first long ball of the season and the 10th pitch of the marathon at-bat.
Lake Erie would again threaten the one-run advantage late, but just like last night, the Grizzlies' bullpen held firm- Gage Vailes tossed a scoreless frame in the eighth, working around a leadoff walk, and Nate Garkow took care of business by striking out the side in order in the ninth for his first save of the season as the Grizzlies clinched the series victory over the Crushers.
Now within one-half game of Lake Erie in the West Division standings, the Grizzlies will go for the three-game sweep in the series finale on Sunday, June 23, at 1:05 p.m. CT. Collin Sullivan draws the starting assignment for Gateway against the Crushers' Anthony Escobar at Grizzlies Ballpark.
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