Grizzlies Settle for Series Win in Schaumburg
Early free bases burn Gateway in Chicagoland finale, club moves on to Florence for the weekend
SCHAUMBURG, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies fell behind big early and never recovered, taking a 17-5 loss against the Schaumburg Boomers in their bid for a series sweep. The loss kept the club's playoff magic number at 3, and also put them behind the Boomers once again by one-half game in the West Division standings with three series remaining in the regular season.
Gateway got on the board first in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by D.J. Stewart, and Ben Harris (5-2) got the first two batters he faced out in the bottom of the inning. But then the troubles began for the rookie right-hander, who walked Christian Fedko and Anthony Calarco before giving up a three-run home run to Banks Tolley, making it 3-1 Schaumburg.
After Gateway got a run back in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by Cole Brannen, the wheels came off for Harris in the bottom of the second, as he walked two and hit two while giving up eight runs on just five hits, blowing the game open and making the score 11-2. Anthony Calarco would single home two more runs in the third inning to make the score 13-2.
Gateway would score one more run in the fifth inning on yet another sac fly by Dale Thomas, and two runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Brannen and on an error by Will Prater at shortstop with Jose Alvarez batting, but it was not nearly enough, as Schaumburg plated four runs in the bottom of the eighth to run the margin up to the final 17-5 score against Stewart, who pitched in the inning after Matthew Lee tossed a scoreless seventh.
Alvery De Los Santos was able to spare the rest of Gateway's bullpen with four and two-thirds frames in relief, allowing two hits and two runs while striking out four, providing the Grizzlies with their lone silver lining.
Gateway will look to put the game behind them when they travel to Florence to continue their road trip on Friday, August 22. Zac Treece will look to be a stopper again for the Grizzlies against the Y'alls, who will throw left-hander Evan Webster. First pitch at Thomas More Stadium is scheduled for 6:03 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.