Grizzlies Drop Middle Game in Florence
Dropped pop-up with two outs snowballs fifth inning, Gateway unable to respond late
FLORENCE, KY. – The Gateway Grizzlies gave up four runs in the fifth inning to the Florence Y'alls on Wednesday morning, breaking open a previously close game in a 7-2 loss at Thomas More Stadium as they saw their three-game win streak snapped.
For the second day in a row, Bryson Horne smashed a two-run home run in the top of the first inning, putting the Grizzlies ahead 2-0. But those would be the only runs of the game for Gateway despite eventually reaching double digits in the hit column for the third game in a row.
Not only that, but the Grizzlies continued to struggle to hold Florence off the board with two outs, as the home team tied the score on back-to-back RBI hits in the bottom of the first inning off Ben Gregory (1-2), then added another run in the third inning to make it 3-2.
After another RBI single in the fifth made the score 4-2, Gregory got a popup on the infield in between the mound and home plate off the bat of Jackson Tucker with two men on base. But the ball dropped between four different Grizzlies defenders, scoring one of the two runners on base to make the score 5-2. A bloop two-run single by Dillon Baker four pitches later made it 7-2, and put the game out of reach.
The Grizzlies' bullpen of Alec Sparks, Jake Burcham, and Xander Lovin held the Y'alls off the board the rest of the way, but there was no comeback to be had this time, as the Gateway offense was vexed by old foe Isaac Milburn, who struck out five over four shutout innings to get the save.
Gateway will conclude their long road swing with a rubber game at Thomas More Stadium on Thursday, July 23 against the Y'alls. Blake Peyton gets the ball in the series finale against Florence's Jonaiker Villalobos, with first pitch scheduled for 5:54 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.