BEARS WITH BROOMS: GRIZZLIES SWEEP Y'ALLS - FRONTIER DAILY ROUNDUP

GRIZZLIES SWEEP Y'ALLS ON THE ROAD

FLORENCE, KY - The Gateway Grizzlies defeated the Florence Y'alls 10-2 on Thursday at Thomas More Stadium. 

The Grizzlies (7-5) won their third game in a row, completing a road sweep of the Y'alls (4-7) for the first time since 2011. Both sides scored a run in the first inning, but Gateway seized control of the game beginning in the fourth. DH DJ Stewart launched a solo shot to give the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead, one they would not relinquish. Gateway then piled on in the sixth, posting six more runs before adding another two in the seventh on a two-run bomb from 1B Jack-Thomas Wold to make it 10-1. Florence would manage one run in the bottom of the seventh, but Grizzlies RHP Matt Hickey closed things out by only surrendering two hits in the final two innings. RHP Nate Garkow took the winning decision after throwing a perfect fifth inning out of the Gateway bullpen. LHP Joe Kemlage took the loss for Florence after giving up two runs over five innings.

The Gateway Grizzlies will travel to Pennsylvania to take on a scorching-hot Wild Things team on Friday. First pitch for that game is at 7:05 PM EDT. Meanwhile, the Y'alls host the Evansville Otters for a weekend series, beginning on Friday at 7:03 PM EDT.

THUNDERBOLTS HANG ON TO TAKE SERIES FROM CRUSHERS

CRESTWOOD, IL - The Windy City ThunderBolts captured the series win at Ozinga Field against the Lake Erie Crushers with a sudden death victory on Thursday afternoon.

The ThunderBolts (7-6) came from behind three separate times to lock up a big series against the Crushers (8-4). Lake Erie came out hot, with C Alfredo Gonzalez crushing a no-doubt two-run home run to give the Crushers a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Windy City tied the game in the third when DH Christian Kuzemka brought in a run on a fielder's choice, with another run scoring on an error. 1B Joe Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Bolts a 3-2 advantage. Lake Erie would even things up in the fifth, but another fielder's choice in the eighth gave Windy City the lead once again. The Crushers retook the lead in the ninth on two passed balls, putting all the pressure back on the ThunderBolts. With men on the corners, RF Thomas Rodriguez laid down a perfect bunt to the right side, bringing home the tying run to force extra innings. The tenth inning brought another run for both sides, the ThunderBolts elected to play defense in sudden death. LHP Jack Mahoney set down the Crushers 1-2-3 to give the ThunderBolts the victory. 

The ThunderBolts will continue their homestand when they host the Joliet Slammers, beginning on Friday at 7:35 PM EDT. The Crushers will travel to Schaumburg on Friday to begin a series with the Boomers. First pitch is at 7:30 PM EDT.

WILD THINGS SWEEP OTTERS, TIE FOR DIVISION LEAD

EVANSVILLE, IN - The Washington Wild Things beat the Evansville Otters 5-2 for their eighth victory in a row on Thursday.

The Wild Things (8-3) are now tied for the Frontier League West division lead after sweeping the Otters (4-8). Washington's victory also gives them their longest winning streak since September of 2021. RHP Dariel Fregio was outstanding for the Wild Things on the bump, throwing a complete game while only surrendering two runs and punching out nine batters for his first winning decision of 2024. CF Caleb McNeely got things started in the third inning when he doubled down the left-field line to bring in the game's first run. SS Carson Clowers followed with an RBI double of his own to make it 2-0 Washington. The lead would swell to 5-0 by the sixth inning when 3B Tommy Caufield sent a two-run homer over the left field wall. Evansville made things interesting by scoring twice in the ninth, but Fregio was able to roll a double-play to end the game.

Washington will continue their homestand at Wild Things Park against the Grizzlies, beginning Friday at 7:05 PM EDT. Evansville will travel to Florence to begin a weekend series against the Y'alls. First pitch is on Friday at 7:03 PM EDT.

JOLIET TAKES SERIES FROM BOOMERS

JOLIET, IL - The Joliet Slammers held on for a 4-3 victory over the Schaumburg Boomers at Duly Health & Care Field on Thursday.

The Slammers (5-7) fended off a late comeback attempt from the Boomers (8-3) to take the series in Joliet. 1B Matthew Warkentin gave the Slammers the lead in the first inning, lining a double into the left-center field gap to score SS Jeissy De La Cruz. The Boomers tied the game in the fourth, but Warkentin came through again by singling home a run while another came in on the same play due to an error. DH Tommy Stevenson then made it 4-1 on an RBI double to bring Warkentin home. The Boomers were able to get one run back in each of the sixth and eighth innings, but could not overcome the deficit. The Boomers ended up leaving 10 men stranded on base for the game. LHP Cole Cook took the loss against his old squad, while RHP Andrew Dietz earned the win for Joliet.

The Slammers will travel to Crestwood to begin a weekend series with the ThunderBolts on Friday. First pitch is at 7:35 PM EDT. The Boomers will return home to host the Crushers, beginning on Friday at 7:30 PM EDT.

OTTAWA NEVER TRAILS IN WIN OVER TRI-CITY

OTTAWA, CAN. - The Ottawa Titans defeated the Tri-City ValleyCats 3-1 at Titan Stadium on Thursday.

The Titans (5-6) only surrendered four hits to take the series against the ValleyCats (4-8). RF Jake Sanford got the Titans on the board with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. 3B AJ Wright added one more on an RBI double in the fifth to make it 2-0 Ottawa. The ValleyCats answered to cut the lead to 2-1 in the sixth, but the Titans added another run in the seventh to put things out of reach. LHP Grant Larson was the difference in the game, tossing 7.1 innings for the Titans, only surrendering one run on four hits while striking out five for the win. Chas Cywin took the loss for the ValleyCats.

The Titans will continue their homestand on Friday, beginning a series with the Trois-Rivières Aigles at 6:30 PM EDT. The ValleyCats will travel to Québec to face the Capitales on Friday. First pitch is at 7:05 PM EDT.

JACKALS BLUDGEN KNOCKOUTS IN SERIES FINALE

BROCKTON, MA - The New Jersey Jackals shut out the New England Knockouts 14-0 at Campanelli Stadium on Thursday.

The Jackals (5-6) kept the Knockouts (4-7) from scoring to take the series finale in New England. New Jersey began the scoring in the second inning with a sacrifice fly from RF Camden Williamson, which resulted in a 2-0 lead thanks to an error on New England. SS Nilo Rijo continued to add on in the third with an RBI double, coming around himself to score two batters later. The Jackals then scored three more in the fourth and five more in the fifth to stretch the lead to make it 12-0. The Jackals would ultimately score two more while their bullpen only allowed one hit through the last three innings. Rijo finished the day with 5 RBIs while LHP Joe Testa took the victory for New Jersey, going six shutout innings and striking out four. RHP Jake Marinan took the loss for the Knockouts.

The Jackals will return home Friday to begin a series with the Sussex County Miners, starting at 6:35 PM EDT. The Knockouts will continue their homestand against the New York Boulders on Friday, with a 6:30 PM EDT first pitch.

CAPITALES DISMANTLE MINERS WITH LATE OFFENSE

QUEBEC, CAN. - The Québec Capitales scored nine runs in the seventh inning to pull away from the Sussex County Miners 11-1 at Stade Canac.

Québec (6-6) has found its way back into the race for the Frontier League East division after taking another series against Sussex County (5-7). The Capitales now sit second in the East, 2.5 games behind New York for the division lead. Québec 3B Anthony Quirion broke through in the fifth inning with a two-run single to put the Capitales on top. The Miners would cut it to 2-1 with a score in the seventh, but Québec scored nine times in the bottom half highlighted by a two-run double from Quirion. The scoring outburst was capped with a two-run home run by 2B Francisco Hernandez, making it 11-1. Quirion ended the day with 4 RBIs on two hits and a walk as RHP James Bradwell earned the win after six shutout innings. LHP Mike Reagan took the loss for Sussex County.

The Capitales will play another series at Stade Canac, beginning on Friday at 7:05 PM EDT when they host the Tri-City ValleyCats. The Miners will go back to New Jersey to face the Jackals at Yogi Berra Stadium, beginning on Friday at 6:35 PM EDT.

BOULDERS HIT THREE MORE HOMERS IN WIN OVER AIGLES

TROIS-RIVIERES, CAN. - The New York Boulders won their series against the Trois-Rivières Aigles by taking the finale 7-4 at Stade Quillorama on Thursday.

The Boulders (8-3) continued to roll against the Aigles (5-6), winning their fourth straight series to remain atop the East division. C Joe DeLuca got things started with a two-run homer in the second inning to give the Boulders an early 2-0 lead. The Aigles would then steadily add runs throughout the game, ultimately taking a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh. New York SS Austin Dennis then took the lead right back with a three-run dinger in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead. A sacrifice fly and another home run in the inning would push the score to 7-3. The Aigles were able to score one run in the bottom of the ninth, but could not overcome the late deficit. RHP Blaine Traxel held it down for the Boulders, going seven innings while allowing three runs (two of them earned) for the win. Aigles RHP Brendan Bell took the loss after giving up three runs and not recording an out.

The Boulders will face the New England Knockouts for their next series, beginning on Friday at 6:30 PM EDT. The Aigles will travel to Ottawa to take on the Titans in a weekend series. First pitch is on Friday at 6:30 PM EDT.