Veterans Lead Grizzlies to Victory over ThunderBolts
Published on July 27, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
CRESTWOOD, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies got outstanding performances from their veterans on Sunday afternoon, with Zac Treece (3-2) tossing six shutout innings with a season-high six strikeouts, and shortstop Abdiel Diaz setting a new career-best with five hits in a 5-1 victory over the Windy City ThunderBolts in the rubber game of the weekend series at Ozinga Field.
Gateway led the contest wire-to-wire. Jose Alvarez opened the proceedings against former Grizzlie Greg Duncan (2-6) with a single in the first inning, and after Victor Castillo walked, Diaz reached on a bunt single, with a throwing error by Oscar Serratos on the same play scoring Alvarez to make it 1-0. Mark Shallenberger followed with a walk to load the bases, and D.J. Stewart cashed in with a two-run single to make the score 3-0 Gateway, all before a single out was recorded in the game.
The Grizzlies would take a 4-0 advantage in the top of the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Stewart, giving the third-year Gateway infielder three RBIs on the day, and Gabe Holt completed their scoring on a solo home run leading off the eighth inning to make the score 5-0.
Meanwhile, the pitching staff dominated. Treece retired the first nine batters he faced, and ended up allowing just two singles and one walk in six innings, striking out a season-best six and throwing just 74 pitches in the game, 51 of which were strikes.
After perfect relief innings by Matt Hickey and Claudio Galva, Windy City broke up the shutout with two outs in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Daryl Ruiz against Xander Lovin. Now up 5-1, Keegan Collett was summoned from the bullpen, and the all-star threw just one pitch to earn his ninth save of the year, getting Serratos to fly out to center to seal the win.
Diaz was the hitting star of the day for Gateway, going a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Stewart finished 2-for-4 with three runs driven in, giving the all-star a team-best 58 on the year.
Now possessing a 42-22 record, and having won five straight series dating back to before the all-star break as well as 21 of their last 25 games overall, the Grizzlies will return home to Sauget for 16 of their next 19 games on their home turf, kicking off a 10-game home stand on Tuesday, July 29 against the Joliet Slammers at Arsenal BG Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
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