Grizzlies pitcher Teague Conrad tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win on Saturday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| Frontier League Baseball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Grizzlies | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| Washington Wild Things | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Jason Barnes
Staff Writer
WASHINGTON, PA — The Gateway Grizzlies got outstanding pitching from starter Teague Conrad and some major help from four relievers, Saturday night, as the visitors held the home team to just two hits, while racking up 14 strikeouts, in a 2-0 shutout win over the Washington Wild Things at Wild Things Park in Pennsylvania.
The win evened the weekend series between the Grizzlies and Wild Things to one game apiece. Game 3 will be Sunday at 4:35 p.m.
Conrad pitched 5 1/3 dynamite innings for Gateway, as he gave up no runs and allowed just two hits, while striking out six and walking three. Relievers Nate Garkow, Matt Hickey, Osvaldo Berrios, and Lukas Veinbergs came in and got the final 10 outs of the game for the Grizzlies, and allowed just one Washington base runner while doing it.
Veinbergs pitched a perfect ninth to get his fourth save of the season.
In the third, Gateway got both of their runs on four hits against Washington starter Zach Kirby (1-1). Jose Alvarez led off with a single, and was replaced at first base by Abdiel Diaz on a fielder’s choice.
Diaz then was put in motion, and Andrew Moritz smacked an RBI triple out to center field, making the score 1-0. Gabe Holt followed Moritz with an RBI bloop single over the drawn-in Wild Things infield to double the Grizzlies lead to 2-0.
Gateway would have opportunities to add on insurance throughout the rest of the game, as they had a runner reach base safely in every inning. They would not need it, however, thanks to Conrad, as the rookie right-hander was dominant in just his second pro start, striking out six to work around three walks and two hits allowed, both singles by Washington’s Tyreque Reed. He left with the tying runs on base and one out in the sixth inning, but Garkow picked up two strikeouts to keep the shutout going.
After Garkow led off the seventh by walking Ricardo Sanchez, Hickey picked him up by getting out of the jam with a strikeout of his own after a pair of ground balls.
In the eighth and ninth, the Wild Things would not once bring the tying run to the plate, as Berrios struck out the side in order in the eighth, and Veinbergs fanned two in a 1-2-3 ninth, completing the combined road blanking and ending the home team’s nine-game win streak.
Having now clinched a winning road trip with their fourth win of the week, Gateway will look to win the series in the finale on Sunday, May 26, at Wild Things Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:35 p.m.
UPCOMING GATEWAY GRIZZLIES BASEBALL GAMES
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2024 (Sunday) | 4:35 pm | Away | Washington Wild Things | Wild Things Park / Washington, PA |
| May 28, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |
| May 29, 2024 (Wednesday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |
| May 30, 2024 (Thursday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Joliet Slammers | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |
| May 31, 2024 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Evansville Otters | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |
| June 1, 2024 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Evansville Otters | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |
| June 2, 2024 (Sunday) | 1:05 pm | Home | Evansville Otters | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |