Grizzlies Use Big Inning to Beat Evansville, Win Series
Gateway scores six in second frame to vault ahead, clinch #3 seed in playoffs
SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies fell behind 2-0 in the top of the second inning on Saturday night against the Evansville Otters, but surged ahead with a six-run bottom of the second and would end up with an 11-6 victory at the end of the night at Arsenal BG Ballpark, locking up a series win as well as the #3 seed in the upcoming Midwest Conference playoffs.
Jake Burcham got out of a jam in the first inning, but could not navigate around another in the second while keeping the game scoreless, as the Otters got four singles in the frame to score the first two runs.
Down 2-0, however, the Grizzlies quickly went to work against Joan Gonzalez (6-3) in the bottom of the inning, as Sawyer Smith and Jose Alvarez began the inning with singles and Abdiel Diaz walked to load the bases. Mark Shallenberger then cleared them all with a grand slam home run, putting Gateway up 4-2. Two more walks put a couple more men on base for Gabe Holt, who cracked a double down the left field line to cap a six-run inning and put the Grizzlies up 6-2.
After Dale Thomas hit a two-run, two-out homer in the third inning to make it 8-2, the Otters struck back on a three-run homer by Keenan Taylor in the top of the fifth, getting within 8-5. But again the Grizzlies had a big answer, with a Diaz single and Shallenberger double preceding a Thomas sacrifice fly for a 9-5 lead before Edwin Mateo smacked a two-run home run to right field to make the score 11-5.
The Otters would score an additional run in the seventh inning, but it was not enough to make a dent in the final margin as the Grizzlies secured the #3 seed in the Midwest Conference bracket of the Frontier League playoffs. They will host the Central Division champion in Game 1 of the best-of-three Wild Card Series on Wednesday, September 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Arsenal BG Ballpark, with the opponent to be decided by the results of Sunday's action in the Frontier League.
The Grizzlies will look to sweep Evansville and go into the postseason on a winning note on Sunday, August 31, concluding the regular season with the "Greatest Night in Baseball" celebration including postgame fireworks, giveaways galore, and a post-game "T.P.-ing" of the ballpark. The game against the Otters will begin at 6:05 p.m. CT at Arsenal BG Ballpark.
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.