Grizzlies Top Slammers on Splash Day

SAUGET – The Gateway Grizzlies scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take the lead on Thursday morning against the Joliet Slammers, and Gage Vailes (3-1) tossed his third-straight “quality start” to hold that advantage in a 5-1 victory at Arsenal BG Ballpark, giving Gateway a sweep of the abbreviated, two-game series in their final home contest before the all-star break.

After Vailes and Gunnar Kines (3-4) held the opposition off the scoreboard in the first two innings, Cole Brannen jump-started the Grizzlies’ offense with a one-out double down the right field line in the bottom of the third. The speedster then stole third base, and scored one pitch later on a sacrifice fly by Dale Thomas that put Gateway up 1-0. Jose Alvarez followed immediately after by reaching second base thanks to a bunt single and a throwing error by Kines, setting up Mark Shallenberger, who blasted his team-leading 11th homer of the year to right field, making it a 3-0 ballgame.

Joliet would get one run back on a solo homer to right field by Antonio Valdez in the next half inning, but Gateway would return the favor when Victor Castillo homered to left field off Kines leading off the bottom of the fourth, making the score 4-1. The Grizzlies completed their scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning when Castillo led off with a double, went to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Abdiel Diaz, and scored for a 5-1 advantage on a bloop RBI single by Edwin Mateo.

Vailes, meanwhile, lasted six innings in the contest, limiting the Slammers to just three hits and one run with two walks and a pair of strikeouts, earning his third win of the season. After scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth by Alvery De Los Santos and Matt Hickey, respectively, Joliet mounted a comeback attempt in the ninth against Francis Peguero, loading the bases with just one out on two walks and a hit batter.

All-star closer Keegan Collett was then summoned from the bullpen, however, and struck out Drew Stengren before getting Liam McArthur on a popout to third base to end the game.

Now a season-high 12 games over the .500 mark, Gateway will head on the road for their final series of the nominal first half of the season to Evansville, opening a three-game series against the Otters on Friday, July 11, at Bosse Field. Ben Harris will start the series opener for the Grizzlies, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT.

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