Grizzlies Roast Crushers, Win Series
Gateway gets quality start from Vailes, scores six in first to take command
SAUGET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies beat the heat and the Lake Erie Crushers on a scorching Sunday afternoon at Arsenal BG Ballpark, riding another complete team performance to a 9-1 victory.
With temperatures soaring into the high 90s and the heat index well into triple digits, Gateway took advantage of the conditions right from the jump in the rubber game, scoring six runs in the first inning and bouncing Crushers starter Alex Garbrick (0-2) from the game before the inning could conclude.
Bryson Horne stayed white-hot with another home run, his 15th of the year, to set the tone, clubbing a three-run blast over the left field wall for a 3-0 lead. Singles by Jose Cordoba and Sawyer Smith followed, with those two eventually scoring on a two-run double by Cole Brannen, bringing the first-inning lead to 5-0. Brennan Orf then scored on a wild pitch for the sixth run of the inning, finishing off yet another early crooked number frame for the Grizzlies offense.
Another crooked number at bat came in the fourth inning. José Alvarez and Cordoba both collected their second hits of the game before Smith shot an RBI double to right field to extend the lead to 7-0. Orf then scored Cordoba and Smith with a two-out, two-run single to bring the game to a 9-0 advantage.
All of that run support went to starter Gage Vailes (4-2), who bounced back on the hill in his second outing of the week. The All-Star right-hander fired six shutout innings with five strikeouts, earning his first win since June. Lake Erie would get a solo home run by Pavin Parks to avoid being shut out for the second game in a row, but it was too little and too late to change the final result, as Gateway notched their first home series win since early June.
Now back to three games under .500 on the season, following an off day on Monday, the Grizzlies begin a crucial week in their schedule in Sauget on Tuesday, July 28, hosting the Windy City ThunderBolts at Arsenal BG Ballpark with the teams separated by just one game in the West Division standings. First pitch in the series opener is 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.