Grizzlies Stumble In Doubleheader Sweep
Gateway loses another heartbreaker in back end of twin-bill, drops both games at Tri-City
TROY, NY. – The Gateway Grizzlies played a doubleheader for the second time on their two-week road swing, and for the second time they lost both ends of the twin-bill with the second contest going to extra innings, falling 6-1 and 4-3 to the Tri-City ValleyCats to drop to 16-12 overall.
In the first game, Gateway fell behind early and was not able to recover. With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, four straight batters reached base against Lukas Veinbergs (2-2) on two singles and two walks, with Ian Walters' two-run infield hit making the score 2-0. The ValleyCats would add on one run in the second inning, one in the fourth, and two more in the fifth inning to take a 6-0 lead.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies' offense was held to a season-low two hits, the second of which came from Dale Thomas on a mammoth, 440-foot solo home run to left-center field in the seventh inning to break up the shutout as Gateway lost the front end of a doubleheader for the third time this season in three opportunities.
In the second game, the ValleyCats again struck first on a two-out infield single to go ahead 1-0 against Claudio Galva in the bottom of the first inning The left-hander would minimize the damage early, and Tri-City's only other run against the Gateway starter over four innings of work came in the fourth frame without the aid of a hit, as back-to-back leadoff walks, a double steal, and an RBI groundout made the score 2-0.
The Grizzlies got on the board in the top of the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly by Mark Shallenberger, and then took their first lead of the day in the top of the sixth inning when Victor Castillo was hit by a pitch and D.J. Stewart followed with a two-run, go-ahead home run to right field, making the score 3-2.
But in the bottom of the seventh inning against Leoni De La Cruz, Dylan Broderick tied the game with a solo home run, sending the contest to extra innings. The Grizzlies failed to plate the automatic runner in the International Tiebreaker in the eighth, with Thomas hitting a ball on the screws but right at Walters at third base for an inning-ending double play. In the bottom of the frame, Tri-City loaded the bases before yet another infield single, this time off the bat of Kyle Novak, won the game for the ValleyCats and dopped Gateway to 0-5 all-time at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium as well as 1-6 in extra innings or sudden death in 2025.
Having already suffered the series loss with the sweep, Gateway will look to salvage the series finale on Thursday, June 12. Gage Vailes will look to play the role of "stopper" on the mound for the Grizzlies against Tri-City right-hander Easton Klein, with first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT.
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 Arsenal BG 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 2025 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.