Grizzlies Stumble In Loss To Washington
Gateway manages one hit, commits three errors in deciding inning to drop series finale
Sauget, Ill. (June 27, 2024) – The Gateway Grizzlies were held to just one hit offensively on Thursday night at Grizzlies Ballpark, with three errors defensively leading to a big inning for the Washington Wild Things to break a late tie in a 6-1 ballgame that gave the visitors a 2-1 series win.
Abdiel Diaz got the Grizzlies only hit of the contest, a solo home run leading off the bottom of the first inning to make it 1-0. Gateway's offense fell completely silent after that, with Wild Things starter Dariel Fregio (5-2) retiring the next 16 batters he faced.
Deylen Miley was sharp as well, allowing just one run (on a game-tying RBI double by Evan Berkey in the fifth) on four hits while striking out eight over six innings to keep the Grizzlies right in the ballgame.
But in the seventh, things fell apart. A leadoff walk by Alvery De Los Santos (0-1) preceded the first error of the inning when a sacrifice bunt was thrown away by the pitcher. With runners at second and third base and no outs, a groundout by Berkey brought in the go-ahead run and made the score 2-1, and another ground ball to Diaz at shortstop turned into the second out.
But another ball hit to shortstop was booted for the second error of the inning by Diaz, allowing another run to score for a 3-1 deficit. Andrew Czech then singled up the middle, and yet another run scored when the ball scooted by Cole Brannen for the final error of the frame, sending Czech all the way to third base. Wagner Lagrange then greeted new pitcher Tyler Cornett with a two-run homer just fair inside the right field foul pole, completing the scoring.
Gateway will look to bounce back immediately on the road when they travel to Florence to face the Y'alls over the weekend. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 6:03 p.m. CT at Thomas More Stadium on Friday, June 28.
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.