Grizzlies Suffer More Heartbreak in Doubleheader
Gateway drops both ends of rain-soaked twin-bill, series to Joliet
SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies lost both game in a doubleheader on Wednesday night to the Joliet Slammers, dropping the contests by final scores of 5-2 and 5-3 in seven innings each to fall out of first place in the West Division standings.
Donovan Burke (0-2) ran into early trouble in game one, as after a leadoff error by Dale Thomas allowed Ian Battipaglia to reach second base, the left-hander surrendered three straight two-out hits as the Slammers took a 3-0 lead. Burke would settle into a big-time groove shortly thereafter, retiring 14 straight batters at one point, during which time the Grizzlies put on their comeback hats again and got within a run at 3-2 on a solo home run by D.J. Stewart in the fourth and a two-out RBI single by Thomas in the sixth.
Joliet would use yet another two-out trio of hits in a row to plate two insurance runs, however, with Battipaglia plating both on a double, ending game one.
In the second contest, Lukas Veinbergs worked around early trouble with seven strikeouts in his first three innings pitched, including after play resumed following a 31-minute rain delay in the second inning.
The game was scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, when hits by Gabe Holt and Stewart set the Grizzlies up with men at first and third base with one out. Victor Castillo hit a ground ball to second base, and despite a high throw by Antonio Valdez to second base, interference was called on Stewart, making it an inning-ending double-play. Joliet would take advantage right away by scoring three runs in the top of the fifth to go ahead 3-0 on RBI hits by Battipaglia and Bryant Flete.
In the bottom of the inning, Thomas reached base on a wild pitch after striking out, and two batters later, Cole Brannen hit his second two-run homer of the series to make it 3-2. With two outs later in the inning, Mark Shallenberger hit a popup to left field that was dropped by Braylin Marine for an error, and Holt made the Slammers pay with an RBI double to tie the score at 3-3.
But even more heartbreak befell Gateway in the seventh inning, with Battipaglia homering to the short porch in right field off Alec Whaley, sealing the Grizzlies' fate as they dropped their fourth game in their last five overall.
Gateway will look to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Slammers in the series finale on Thursday, July 31, with Gage Vailes drawing the start. First pitch at Arsenal BG Ballpark is scheduled for 6:30 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.