Grizzlies Survive in Series Finale at Mississippi
Gateway pitches around 14 walks to beat Mud Monsters
PEARL, MISS. – The Gateway Grizzlies walked 14 Mississippi Mud Monsters batters on Thursday night at Trustmark Park, but managed to strand 14 opposing runners in the game, including the tying and potential winning runs on base in the ninth inning in a 5-4 win to avoid the sweep.
Gateway scored the first run of the contest in the top of the second inning by taking advantage of a leadoff error by Mississippi. Bryson Horne reached on the mistake, advanced to third on a Davie Morgan single, and scored on an RBI groundout by Darryl Lee for a 1-0 lead against Mud Monster starter Tyler Campbell (3-2), their first time leading in the series.
The Grizzlies then extended that lead against the tough southpaw in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and second base, Morgan drilled a liner down the left field line to score both men and make it 3-0. One pitch later, Lee continued to be an RBI machine in his young Gateway career, singling Morgan home for a 4-0 lead.
Blake Peyton started the finale for the Grizzlies and looked great through his first three innings of work before control issues arose in the bottom of the fourth. Peyton walked three in the frame but ultimately allowed just one run to score on a sacrifice fly in the laborious inning.
Now up 4-1, Gateway faced more of the same strike zone trouble in the bottom of the fifth. After walking the leadoff hitter, Peyton was lifted for Alec Sparks. A double and wild pitch led to another run for the Mud Monsters, but Sparks stepped up with the bases loaded, getting out of the inning with the Grizzlies still leading, 4-2.
In need of an insurance run, Gateway got one in the top of the seventh thanks to Lee and Dale Thomas. Lee was plunked to begin the inning and made it all the way to third when Mississippi committed another error trying to catch Lee stealing second. Thomas then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to extend the lead to 5-2.
That would also turn out to be the game-winning tally, as the Mud Monsters got that run back in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double by Brayland Skinner, and drew to within 5-4 in the ninth with a run-scoring single by Tevis Payne II, but Julio Ortiz buckled down, striking out the side to record the save in the nail-biting result.
With the series-finale victory, the Grizzlies ended their road trip at 3-3, and will head home for the Fourth of July weekend, where they will play host to the four-time reigning league champion Québec Capitales at Arsenal BG Ballpark. Gage Vailes opens the series on the mound on Friday night, July 3, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 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.