Treece Leads Grizzlies to Streak-Busting Win
Gateway veteran pitches another sparkler vs Bolts, losing skid halted at five games
SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies received their second-straight fantastic start on the mound from veteran Zac Treece (4-2) this week against the Windy City ThunderBolts on Saturday night, as he threw seven shutout innings in a 9-6 victory at Arsenal BG Ballpark to get his club back in the win column and snap a five-game losing streak.
Gateway got on the board right away against ex-Grizzlie Greg Duncan (2-7) in the bottom of the first inning, as Jose Alvarez was hit by a pitch, stole second base, and went to third on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single by Abdiel Diaz to make it 1-0.
It was still 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning as both starters had settled into grooves when Gabe Holt hit a ground ball to first base that Christian Kuzemka mishandled for an error with two outs. That proved to be costly when Diaz launched a two-run home run to deep right field, increasing the Gateway lead to 3-0.
The Grizzlies also kept up the offensive pressure against the ThunderBolts' bullpen in the sixth and seventh. They plated three runs off Avery Cook in the sixth on a two-run single by Cole Brannen with the bases loaded along with a balk, and used two walks and a hit-by-pitch to scored three more times in the seventh off Ronny Dominguez. In that frame, Dale Thomas drew a walk with the bases loaded, followed by an RBI single from Mark Shallenberger, and a sacrifice fly from Pavin Parks, with the latter's first RBI as a Grizzlie making the score 9-0.
After Treece set a new season-high with seven innings pitched and continued to hold Windy City off the board, things got hairy in the later innings, as the ThunderBolts scored five times against Alec Whaley in the eighth, including a two-out grand slam by Christian Kuzemka. A leadoff hit batter in the ninth and single against Francis Peguero in the ninth turned into another run to make the score 9-6 on a sacrifice fly by James Dunlap. But Keegan Collett was able to shut the door there, getting a ground ball to the mound from David Maberry to end the game and notch the tenth save of his all-star season.
The Grizzlies will now look to take the series from the ThunderBolts in a rubber game on Sunday, August 3 at Arsenal BG Ballpark. Brady Fuller will make the start for Gateway against Windy City's Tyler Wehrle, 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.