Grizzlies Take Second Straight Loss Against Windy City

Gateway offense held to four hits in dropping opening game of weekend 

SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies struggled both at the plate and on the mound on Friday night against the Windy City ThunderBolts, as they were held to only four hits on offense while walking a season-high nine opposing batters in a 7-2 loss at Arsenal BG Ballpark.

For the third straight game, it was the Grizzlies scoring a run in the first to take an early lead, this time on a two-out RBI infield single by Dale Thomas to go ahead 1-0. Xander Lovin (0-1) was sharp early as well, allowing no hits and facing just one batter over the minimum through three innings.

But things went south in the middle frames. Windy City plated two runs in the fourth to go ahead for good on an RBI single by Victor Cerny and a sacrifice fly by James Dunlap, then scored three more runs in the fifth inning on RBI hits by Cerny and Daryl Ruiz. The ThunderBolts also plated two more runs in the sixth against Jack Hoeymans on a bases-loaded walk and another sac fly by Ruiz, giving him three RBIs on the night.

The Grizzlies' only other run came in the bottom of the sixth when Thomas reached on a two-out error by Dunlap at shortstop, allowing Sawyer Smith to score to make it 7-2, but that is as close as Gateway got in dropping their second straight game at home to fall to 3-4 on the season.

They will look again to bounce back on Saturday, May 16, at 6:30 p.m. CT. Belleville, Illinois native and McKendree University alum Josh Dima will make his professional debut on the mound for the Grizzlies.

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.