GRIZZLIES FORCE RUBBERMATCH IN TOP OF DIVISION CLASH
Evansville, IN (June 28, 2023) – The Gateway Grizzlies trailed 5-4 going to the top of the ninth inning against the Evansville Otters, but rallied to tie the game in the frame and send it to extra innings, where they scored two runs in the tenth for a dramatic, 7-5 victory at Bosse Field to force a rubber game in the series finale.
Gateway got the scoring started right away thanks to some sloppy defense by the Otters in the first- Gabe Holt reached on an error by third baseman Jomar Reyes, went to third base on a single by Jairus Richards, and scored when Andrew Penner also reached on an error by shortstop George Callil. After a pair of strikeouts from ace Tim Holdgrafer, Clint Freeman beat the ball to first base for an infield single, with Richards coming around to score from second base on the play to make it 2-0.
The lead would last until the fourth inning, when Evansville tied the score on four straight hits to lead off the frame against Lukas Veinbergs. An RBI single by Bryan Rosario made it 3-2 Otters and knocked Veinbergs out of the game, and after Noah Myers made it 4-2 on a sacrifice fly, Rosario caught the Grizzlies napping and stole home to increase the margin to 5-2.
The Grizzlies would respond right away against Holdgrafer in the top of the fifth, scoring two runs back on four consecutive leadoff hits, including Richards' RBI knock, as well as a sacrifice fly by Peter Zimmermann, making the score 5-4.
And that is the way the score remained until the ninth, as both bullpens held the line. Against closer Jake Polancic (0-2), D.J. Stewart led off with a single, went to second on a ground ball, and stole third base, forcing the Evansville infield to come in. After Eric Rivera drew a pinch-hit walk and stole second base himself, Holt hit a ground ball to the drawn-in shortstop Callil that was not handled cleanly, allowing Stewart to come in and tie the score at 5-5.
After the Otters failed to rally in the ninth against Colton Easterwood (2-0), the game went to extra innings with the International Tiebreaker in effect, and Zimmermann led off by scoring the automatic runner on an RBI double inside the third-base bag to make it 6-5 Grizzlies. After a sacrifice by Willie Estrada moved Zimmermann to third base, he scored on a sacrifice fly by Freeman for a 7-5 advantage. Alec Whaley then came in and retired all three batters he faced for the save, as Gateway completed the comeback win.
Holt led Gateway's offense with his second three-hit game in a row and two runs scored, with Zimmermann and Freeman each driving in a pair of runs as well. The Grizzlies' bullpen put together their best effort of the season as well, with six relievers combining to allow no runs over 6 2/3 innings along with no walks and a whopping 12 strikeouts, allowing the Grizzlies to eventually come back and even up the midweek series.
The series will be decided in a rubber game on Thursday, June 29, at 6:35 p.m., with Carson LaRue drawing the starting assignment on the mound against the Otters' Jhon Vargas at Bosse Field before the Grizzlies return home for the Independence Day weekend.
POMONA, NY (June 28) – Game two featured the same quick start for Washington as game one of the doubleheader did at Clover Stadium, but this time Washington was able to pull away and hold on to a 13-2 win to split the doubleheader and even the series against New York at a game apiece.
Washington drew first blood in the nightcap and scored the game's first 13 runs. Tommy Caufield started the onslaught in the second with a two-run double before the Wild Things added four in the third on an RBI single by Wagner Lagrange, a run-scoring double by Andrew Czech, an RBI grounder by Tristan Peterson and an RBI double by Robert Chayka. In the fourth, Washington plated six highlighted by Scotty Dubrule's first homer of the season, a three-run shot to right and a two-run double by Peterson. Chayka drove in another with a single in the frame.
Peterson added a solo shot, his fourth in five games, in the sixth to make it 13-0 then New York got two against Jack Cone in the bottom half to get on the board, but that's all they'd get. Justin Goossen-Brown fanned six in a winning effort and didn't allow a run. Ray Pacella and Arrison Perez also worked scoreless outings.
With the series even, it shifts to the finale tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Clover Stadium. Justin Showalter, off his shutout in his last start, will toe the rubber for Washington and oppose New York's Alec Huertas.
POMONA, NY – The New York Boulders split the doubleheader with the Washington Wild Things on Wednesday. The first game featured a sudden-death showdown, resulting in a 10-9 walk-off victory for New York. In the second game, the Boulders fell victim to a 13-2 blowout. The doubleheader consisted of two seven-inning games, making up for Tuesday's rainout.
After falling into a six-run deficit, the Boulders rallied for a thrilling walk-off victory. Thomas Walraven, who hit a game-tying three-run home run in the seventh inning, came up clutch again in the ninth inning by driving in the winning run of Game 1 on a sacrifice fly.
Giovanni Garbella's RBI single and Patrick Kivlehan's two-run single helped spark a six-run seventh inning for New York. Washington scored two runs in the eighth inning, but Garbella erased the deficit with a two-run single to force extra innings.
Dawson Lane got the start for New York, throwing 1 2/3 innings and allowing four runs. Andy Hammond allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief. Aljo Sujak, in his first game back from the disabled list, let up one run in two innings of work. New York's final pitcher of the night, Dylan Smith, earned the win thanks to a scoreless eighth inning.
The Boulders were not so fortunate in the late game of the twin bill. Washington bounced back in a strong way after letting the first game slip away.
Former St. Thomas Aquinas Spartan and Long Island Duck Chris Cepeda made his first start for the Boulders after being signed to the squad earlier in the day. Cepeda struggled, allowing 10 earned runs over three innings in his debut. Washington starter Justin Goossen-Brown threw four scoreless innings in the contest.
Gabriel Garcia and Chris Kwitzer each had an RBI in the game for New York. Wild Things designated hitter Tristan Peterson paced Washington in the win, going 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI. Peterson drove in three runs in the Game 1 loss.
CRESTWOOD, IL – The bats were out in full effect in a 9-8 victory for the ThunderBolts as they set a new season high in hits with 15 in the second game of a three-game set against the Slammers.
Matt Morgan got the scoring started for the Bolts (17-24)in the bottom of the second with a two-run blast to left field. It was Morgan's fourth long ball of the season and the second of this series.
GJ Hill tied the ball game up with a two-run shot of his own in the top of the fourth for his ninth of the season. Troy Viola's second homer as a Bolt broke this scoreless tie half a frame later, making it 3-2.
Joliet (19-22) got out in front in a big way with a five-run top of the fifth inning, chasing out Windy City starter Adrien Reese.
The Bolts got back into the scoring column in the bottom of the seventh in attempts to chip away at the five-run deficit with RBI base knocks from Dan Robinson and Will Riley.
Windy City entered the bottom of the ninth with their backs against the wall after Adam Feinstein delivered an RBI single in the top half of the inning to make it an 8-5 ball game.
All three runs put up in the ninth from the Bolts to tie the game came with two outs, as a bases-loaded walk from Jake Boone and a two-run flare single from Junior Martina sent the game to extras.
After Austin Marozas tossed a scoreless top of the tenth, Paul Coumoulos delivered the final blow in this shootout with a walk-off knock down the right field line to give Windy City the 9-8 win and the series victory.
Marozas (1-1) got the win for the Bolts, throwing two clutch frames in relief, only allowing one run. He allowed two hits and punched out three in his tenth appearance of the season. Caden O'Brien (0-3) got tabbed with the loss after getting his number called to throw the bottom of the tenth.
Ottawa, ON - Damon Casetta-Stubbs (win, 2-2) tossed his fourth quality start of the season as the Ottawa Titans (18-23) defeated the Sussex County Miners (25-15) by a score of 7-1 on Wednesday.
With two shutout frames to begin his outing, Casetta-Stubbs allowed a couple of singles to the final two hitters in the Miners' order to begin the third. Edwin Mateo dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but Casetta-Stubbs' throw to first was in the dirt and got away from Jamey Smart. On the play, Elvis Lopez made the turn around third and scored the opening run.
Making his first start of the season, Jose Ledesma Jr. (loss, 2-2) went nine up and nine down to start his evening. The Titans got to the Miners' righty with three runs on four hits in the fourth. With runners on the corners, Sicnarf Loopstok tied the game with an opposite-field single, scoring a Jackie Urbaez leadoff double. Next, Taylor Wright lined a single to centre, scoring Jason Dicochea to put the Titans in front. Later, Evan Berkey cashed home another run with a sacrifice fly to centre.
Leading 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, a wild pitch brought home a Jackie Urbaez walk before Loopstok brought home his second of the game on an infield single to add to the lead.
The run support would be plenty for Casetta-Stubbs, who tossed seven innings allowing one run (unearned) on five hits, walking one, and striking out eight. Casetta-Stubbs has now allowed two runs (one earned) over his last 20 innings of work.
After adding two more in the bottom of the seventh, Augie Gallardo and Trevor Clifton tossed a combined two shutout frames to secure the win.
Sicnarf Loopstok went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Kanta Kobayashi recorded a multi-hit performance, and Jackie Urbaez scored three times.
TROY, N.Y. — Playing the 1,000th game in team history, the Schaumburg Boomers did not trail, notching a 12-7 win over the Tri-City ValleyCats in New York on Wednesday night.
Gaige Howard led off the game with a homer to hand the Boomers the lead, the first of four runs in the inning. The leadoff homer marked the first in of the season in leadoff fashion. Two batters later Brett Milazzo homered to make the score 3-0. Blake Grant-Parks added an RBI double in the inning. After the hosts pulled within 4-2, the Boomers added seven unanswered to open an 11-2 advantage. Quentin Selma and Zach Huffins homered in the seventh as the Boomers hit a season high four. Tri-City made it interesting by scoring five unanswered but a ninth inning insurance run enabled the Boomers to hold on to a comfortable margin.
Kobey Schlotman struck out five in five innings to nab his sixth win of the year, tied for the most in the league. Eight members of the lineup posted a hit with the top three in the order each logging three. Milazzo finished with four RBIs. The Boomers amassed 16 hits and also drew seven walks.
The Boomers continue the roadtrip with the final game against Tri-City tomorrow night at 5:30pm CST. The team will return home for the Fourth of July Festivities beginning on July 3 against Joliet.
