Grizzlies Blitz Crushers, Win Weekend Series
Gateway plates 11 runs, gets outstanding pitching in rubber game
SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies received a complete team effort on Sunday afternoon, with Ben Harris (2-2) tossing five shutout innings to back an offense that tied a season-high in runs scored in an 11-2 victory over the Lake Erie Crushers at Arsenal BG Ballpark.
After getting roughed up in Evansville on Tuesday, Harris worked around a healthy amount of traffic early on in his start in way to earning the win. Gateway gave him early run support as well, as Mark Shallenberger got the scoring started with his seventh home run of the season to give the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, putting the St. Louis native in a tie for the Frontier League lead in home runs through 15 games.
The runs continued in the third inning as Gateway plated three against Lake Erie starter Fraynel Nova (1-1). Three straight hits began the frame, including an RBI single from Sawyer Smith, making the score 2-0. Nova would later walk in a run and allow another on an RBI fielder's choice by Mitchell Sanford to bring the score to 4-0.
Two more tallies followed in the bottom of the fourth with Cole Brannen and Shallenberger both doubling in the frame. Davie Morgan brought home Brannen with an RBI single before Shallenberger's RBI two-bagger made it 6-0.
With Harris putting the finishing touches on his outing with five strikeouts over his five frames, Gateway held the lead until the seventh, when they enjoyed a big inning to put the game out of reach. They took advantage of Crushers reliever Corbin Foy, who walked four Grizzlies and hit a fifth while recording no outs. Five runs ended up scoring to make it 11-0, punctuated by an RBI single by Morgan, the only hit Gateway would need in the seventh alongside bases-loaded walks by both Sanford an Brannen as well as a fielder's choice by Tate Wargo.
Lake Erie broke up the shutout in the ninth with a pair of runs off Gage Vailes, but it did not change the final result, as the Grizzlies seized their second series win of the year. After the holiday off day on Monday, their homestand continues on Tuesday, May 26, against the Evansville Otters, with first pitch at Arsenal BG Ballpark set 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 2026 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.