Grizzlies Mount Comeback for Home-Opening Win

Gateway scores five in seventh to rally, take contest from Joliet 

SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies came away victorious in their home-opener at Arsenal BG Ballpark, defeating the Joliet Slammers, 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Alec Sparks, making his first professional start, labored to begin the game, needing 38 pitches to get out of a one-run first inning for the Joliet offense. Slammers shortstop Nico Bermeo then lined an opposite field home run through the wind to right, scoring Brandon Heidal to capture a 3-0 lead in the second inning. That's when Sparks settled in. The righty retired nine straight Slammers after the home run, giving his team four solid innings in his home debut.

Offensively, the Grizzlies struggled to get anything going against Joliet starter Eric Turner. Gateway failed to muster a hit through the first four frames before loading the bases against Turner in the fifth. While the Grizzlies couldn't scratch a run across in the inning, the traffic did help chase Turner after six shutout innings and set the table for the Gateway comeback.

In the seventh, Sawyer Smith sparked the offense with a solo home run off Slammers reliever Donovan Smith (0-1), making the score 3-1. An error by Joliet second baseman A.J. Orrico followed, and Cade Parker drew a walk, setting up an RBI knock from Cole Brannen that made it 3-2, and a wild pitch by Slammers reliever Marcus Morgan then knotted the game up at 3-3. That's when José Alvarez delivered the eventual game-winning hit, drilling a single into right field to put the Grizzlies up 5-3.

Gateway would add insurance in the bottom of the eighth, when Parker delivered a two-out, run-scoring double to the deepest part of the park in center field, scoring Smith for a 6-3 lead. That was more than enough cushion for Grizzlies' closer Sam Gardner, who struck out the side for the second time this season, earning save number two. Earning the win with four shutout innings of relief was Gage Vailes (1-0) in his season debut, striking out seven, and allowing just two Joliet batters to reach base.

The Grizzlies will look to make it back-to-back wins and a series victory over the Slammers with a quick turnaround on Wednesday morning, May 13, at 10:45 a.m. CT. Ben Harris will make his second start of the season against Joliet right-hander Nick Cosentino 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 2026 schedule can be found at FrontierLeague.com.