Grizzlies Drop Rain-Soaked Road Finale
Big inning fells Gateway before rain washes away rubber game at Mississippi
PEARL, MS. – The Gateway Grizzlies lost their final home game of the regular season on Thursday night, falling behind 8-3 in the first five innings before the contest was called due to heavy rain at Trustmark Park.
Mississippi struck first with two outs in the bottom of the second inning against Zac Treece (4-4), who gave up three softly-hit singles in the inning. Nilo Rijo's broken-bat blooper with a runner on third base made it 1-0 Mud Monsters, and after Rijo stole second base, Charlie Updegrave's subsequent single to shallow right field made it 2-0.
The Grizzlies responded in their half of the fourth inning. Gabe Holt extended his hit streak to 10 in a row with a leadoff single, and Abdiel Diaz followed with another. Sawyer Smith then laid down a sacrifice bunt in front of the plate, with Mississippi catcher Victor Diaz's throw towards first base hitting Smith and caroming away for an error, allowing Holt to score to make it 2-1.
Mark Shallenberger then ripped an RBI double down the first base line to tie the score at 2-2 and send Smith to third base. He scored on the very next pitch on a sacrifice fly by Dale Thomas, putting the Grizzlies in the lead 3-2.
Treece would get the shutdown inning, but as rain arrived to the ballpark in the fifth, a leadoff walk mushroomed into a six-run bottom of the frame that included just four hits, two more walks, and one hit batter, putting Mississippi ahead for good. After Gateway left the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, he two teams began the bottom of the inning, but were pulled off the field two batters into the frame, and with rain steadily falling, the remainder of the contest was called off.
The Grizzlies return home for their final series of the regular season as they take on the Evansville Otters at Arsenal BG Ballpark. First pitch of the series opener on Friday, August 29, 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.