Grizzlies slugger Mark Vierling (18) celebrates after hitting a home run that gave the club its first lead of the night in Sunday’s regular season finale against the Lake Erie Crushers. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
| Final – Sept. 3, 2023 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Erie Crushers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| Gateway Grizzlies | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | X | 8 | 13 | 1 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
SAUGET, IL — The Gateway Grizzlies put a fitting end to what was a dynamic 2023 season on Sunday, when it rallied from an early deficit by smacking 13 hits, including three home runs, in an 8-4 win over the Lake Erie Crushers at Grizzlies Ballpark.
Gateway ended its regular season with a 59-37 record and as champions of the Frontier League West Division. The club will now wait to find out who will win the wild card game, which will be played on Tuesday, to determine its opponent in the West Division championship series.
On Sunday, after falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Grizzlies came to bat in the bottom of the third and began their comeback. Cole Brannen led off with a walk and Willie Estrada singled against Lake Erie starter Jonaiker Villalobos.
Two batters later, Mark Vierling hit his fifth home run of the home stand, a three-run shot to right field that vaulted the Grizzlies in front 3-2. Two innings later against Shane Gustafson (0-1), Andrew Penner hit his first home run since July 25, making the score 4-2 on the solo shot.
Lake Erie then rallied to tie the score against Johnson in the sixth, with Sean Cheely lifting a double with the bases loaded and one out over first base to knot the score at 4-4. But Zac Treece (3-0) got the next two batters out to preserve the tie, and in the bottom of the sixth, Gateway would score four runs to take the lead for good.
Vierling blooped a single into center field that got off Cheely’s sliding glove attempt to make it 5-4, and was followed by Penner’s three-run home run to complete the scoring at 8-4, giving the all-star his first career multi-homer game.
As West Division champs, the Grizzlies earned a bye into the best-of-three Frontier League Division Series, which will begin on the road on Thursday, September 7, against the winner of the West Division Wild Card game between the Schaumburg Boomers and Evansville Otters taking place in Schaumburg on Tuesday, September 5.
They will then return to Grizzlies Ballpark for Game Two of the FLDS on Saturday, September 7, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. as Gateway enters the playoffs for the first time since 2012 and looks to make a run to their second Frontier League Championship.
| 2023 Frontier League West Division Championship Series Schedule |
| WILD CARD GAME |
| Tue., Sept. 5 — Evansville Otters at Schaumburg Boomers — 6:30 pm |
| WEST DIVISION SERIES |
| Game 1 – Thu., Sept. 7 — Gateway at Evansville/Schaumburg — 6:30 pm |
| Game 2 – Sat., Sept. 9 — Evansville/Schaumburg at Gateway — 7 pm |
| Game 3 – Sun., Sept. 10 — Evansville/Schaumburg at Gateway — 7 pm (if necessary) |
| All Gateway Grizzlies home games will be played at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget, IL. |