Grizzlies Bounce Back, Take Down Mud Monsters
Gateway strikes out 14 Mississippi batters, expands lead late to win series opener
SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies got a much-needed, bounce-back win on Tuesday night at Arsenal BG Ballpark, beating the Mississippi Mud Monsters 9-3 for their 43rd win of the season.
Early on, the visitors put pressure on Gateway starter Lukas Veinbergs (5-3), and the veteran right-hander bent, but did not break in the second inning, stranding the bases loaded thanks to two of his eight strikeouts on the night. The Grizzlies capitalized in the next inning, taking the lead off Luis Devers (7-5) on a Gabe Holt RBI single at 1-0 in the top of the third.
A Dale Thomas sacrifice fly in the fourth doubled the advantage, and in the next inning, with two outs, D.J. Stewart came through with the big blow of the game with two men on base, cracking his 16th home run of the season over the left-center field wall, a three-run shot that made the score 5-0 Grizzlies.
Gateway would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh inning against Mississippi reliever Ben Riley Flowers, as two leadoff walks led to four runs in the frame on RBI doubles by Jose Alvarez and Stewart, plus an RBI single by Victor Castillo, and an RBI groundout by Mark Shallenberger, making the score 9-0.
The Mud Monsters broke up the shutout on two home runs late to the short porch in right field off the bats of Davis Bradshaw and Nick Hassan, but it was not enough to overcome a well-rounded team effort on the field by the home side, which included no defensive errors as well as 14 strikeouts by the pitching staff of Veinbergs, Alvery De Los Santos, Matt Hickey, and Francis Peguero, tying a season-high.
The Grizzlies will look to make it two wins in a row and a series victory in the middle game against the Mud Monsters on Wednesday, August 6, at Arsenal BG Ballpark. Gage Vailes will pitch for Gateway, with first pitch 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.