Sullivan Sharp, Grizzlies Blow Out Y’alls
Gateway grabs big lead early, gets quality start to even weekend series
Florence, Ky. (June 29, 2024) – The Gateway Grizzlies scored four runs in the top of the first inning while subsequently receiving a dominant start from Collin Sullivan (4-3), who tossed seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts in what turned into a blowout, 12-3 win over the Florence Y'alls at Thomas More Stadium on Saturday night.
Florence starter Blake Loubier (0-3) could not find the strike zone, issuing five walks in the first inning alone. The Grizzlies took full advantage, going ahead 1-0 on a bases-loaded walk by Mark Vierling, followed on the next pitch by a two-run single from Jack-Thomas Wold, making it a 3-0 game. A wild pitch by Loubier added another tally, and Gateway handed Sullivan a 4-0 lead before he threw a single pitch.
The offense would again bat around in the third to knock Loubier out of the game, scoring five runs to take full control of the game. In the inning, Tate Wargo lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, Gabe Holt and Kevin Krause drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks, and, Peter Zimmermann punctuated the frame with a two-run double, increasing the Grizzlies' lead to 9-0.
Gateway would tack on another run in the fourth inning, and then two more in the eighth on an RBI single by Vierling and a sacrifice fly by D.J. Stewart for their final runs, and the Y'alls were able to get three runs on the board in the contest, including two in the ninth, but could not threaten the Grizzlies' big advantage.
Sullivan, however, was the story of the game, retiring the first nine batters he faced, including five in a row on strikes, to make the Grizzlies' early surge stand up. The right-hander finished with eight strikeouts and no walks over seven outstanding innings, with the only blemish on his ledger coming on a T.J. Reeves solo home run in the fifth. All told, he tossed 71 of his 99 pitches for strikes, helping Gateway even the weekend series.
The Grizzlies will look to cap off the short road trip with a series victory in the rubber game on Sunday, June 30, at 12:07 p.m. CT. Teague Conrad will look to bounce back from two straight losses on the hill, while Florence will have left-hander Jonaiker Villalobos opposing him at Thomas More Stadium.
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.