Penner Plays All Nine Positions In Grizzlies Defeat
Gateway nearly rallies back from early deficit in middle game against Lake Erie
Sauget, IL (September 2, 2023) – The Gateway Grizzlies saw utilityman Andrew Penner play all nine defensive positions on Saturday night against the Lake Erie Crushers, but came up short in a 6-4 loss at Grizzlies Ballpark, evening up the final series of the regular season.
Both teams hit solo homers in the first inning to kick things off, with Mark Vierling hitting the first pitch from Yasel Santana (5-6) over the right field fence after Kenen Irizarry did the same in the top of the first against Carson LaRue (5-8). But Lake Erie would continue to score off the Gateway starter, with one run in the third inning on an error by Willie Estrada at third base with two outs, and two more runs in the fourth, taking a 4-1 lead.
With Penner matriculating around the diamond inning by inning, Gateway made a comeback in the middle frames, loading the bases for Joey Gonzalez, with last night's winning pitcher getting an RBI on a fielder's choice in his first professional at-bat to make it a 4-2 contest. Estrada then pulled the Grizzlies within a run at 4-3 on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
But Gateway was unable to get over the hump, and in the top of the ninth, with Penner completing his night by starting the inning on the mound, the Crushers got their first two men on base and into scoring position before an error on a ground ball by Clint Freeman ended up plating both runners for a 6-3 lead. Those would turn out to be the winning runs as well, as Vierling took Trevor Kuncl deep to right field for his second homer of the night in the bottom of the ninth, but that is where the rally ended as Lake Erie held on for the 6-4 win.
The Grizzlies will look to win the series in the regular season finale on Sunday, September 3, at 6:05 p.m. CT when they host the Crushers for their annual Greatest Night In Baseball celebration. Parker Johnson will start the contest against the Crushers' Jonaiker Villalobos, with giveaways for every single out of the game set to be distributed to lucky fans at Grizzlies Ballpark.
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, three 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 2023 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.