Starting pitcher Carson LaRue tossed a seven-inning shutout in Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Québec Capitales. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| Game 1 – Sunday, July 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec Capitales | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Gateway Grizzlies | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | X | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Game 2 – Sunday July 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec Capitales | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 1 |
| Gateway Grizzlies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
Steven Millbrook
Staff Writer
SAUGET, IL — The Gateway Grizzlies and Québec Capitales split a doubleheader at Grizzlies Ballpark Sunday afternoon, with Gateway winning game one, 3-0, and Québec taking game two, 10-6. The victory in Sunday’s opener, coupled with its win on Friday, gave Gateway the series win over Québec, in what began as a battle of the two first-place teams in the two Frontier League divisions.
The Grizzlies remain in first in the Frontier League West, but are now tied for the top with the Schaumburg Boomers. Québec’s two losses dropped them to 40-25, which now has them in third place in the Frontier League East, behind Tri-Valley and New Jersey.
In the first game on Sunday, starting pitcher Carson LaRue delivered one of his best performances of the season, as he pitched a seven-inning, complete-game shutout to lead the Grizzlies.
LaRue (5-3) allowed just four hits and struck out three, while walking just one, as he kept the Capitales off balance the entire game. He also got help from his teammates on defense, as the Grizzlies turned three double plays in the infield and made two leaping catches in the outfield.
On offense, Gateway had to work to get its runs, but managed to do so with a solo score in the third inning and two more runs in the sixth.
Cole Brannen opened the third inning against Capitales ace Steven Fuentes (7-1) with a double, and Alex Hernandez laid down a bunt to advance the runner to third base before Abdiel Diaz drove in Brannen with an RBI single to right field.
The Grizzlies added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Peter Zimmermann was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and was followed by an RBI single from Andrew Penner for the final margin.
LaRue then capped the shutout in the seventh inning with a strikeout, allowing just four singles and a walk in becoming the first pitcher to go the distance this season for Gateway in a game of any length, as the Grizzlies won the series and saw their club all-time win total reach 999.
Going for a milestone 1000th victory in game two as well as a series sweep in game two, the Grizzlies were met with adversity, as Québec jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning off Gateway starter Zac Ryan (3-3).
The Capitales added five runs in the third inning to take an 8-0 advantage on an RBI single by Marc-Antoine Lebreux, an RBI double by Martin Vincelli-Simard, and a three-run home run by David Glaude.
Québec would also score single runs in the sixth and seventh inning to reach double figures.
In the bottom of both of those frames, the Grizzlies would avoid the shutout with power swings, getting a two-run home run by Kyle Gaedele in the sixth, and a solo homer by Jairus Richards and a three-run bomb by Zimmermann in the seventh.
The homer by Zimmermann was his 20th of the season and increased his Frontier League-leading RBI total to 78 on the season.
Gateway will now head back out on the road, for perhaps its biggest series of the season, when it will take on Schaumburg in a three-game set at Wintrust Field. Game one will be on Monday, July 31, with Gateway’s Lukas Veinbergs starting against Schaumburg’s Luis Perez.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.