Gateway’s Kyle Gaedele (32) and Willie Estrada (22) celebrate Gaedele’s two-run homer during Wednesday’s win over the Florence Y’alls at Grizzlies Ballpark. (Photo courtesy: Gateway Grizzlies)
| Final – Aug. 9, 2023 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Y’alls | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 1 |
| Gateway Grizzlies | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | X | 14 | 16 | 0 |
Steven Millbrook
Staff Writer
SAUGET, IL — The Gateway Grizzlies delivered another incredible come-from-behind home victory, Wednesday night at Grizzlies Ballpark.
The home team trailed 5-0 before they took a single at-bat against the Florence Y’alls, then 7-2 in the bottom of the fifth, before scoring the final 12 runs of the game, 11 of which came with two outs, in what proved to be 14-7 win that lowered their magic number for a playoff spot to 11 and increased their lead atop the Frontier League West Division standings to four games.
The early part of the game was all Florence, as they scored four of their five runs in the top of the first inning with two outs off Joey Gonzalez (9-6). Brennan Price kicked off the scoring by hitting the very first pitch of the ballgame over the left-center field wall, with Harrison Dinicola and Ed Johnson providing two run singles later in the frame.
Gateway used four stolen bases, an RBI groundout by Eric Rivera, and a two-out RBI single by Andrew Penner to get within 5-2 in the bottom of the first, but Florence re-took a four-run lead on Ray Zuberer’s sacrifice fly in the top of the second at 6-2.
Both Gonzalez and Y’alls starter Carter Spivey settled in, and did not allow another run until the fifth inning, when Hank Zeisler’s RBI double made the score 7-2.
The Grizzlies then made their comeback in an incredible bottom of the fifth. With two outs and no one on base, Jairus Richards laid down a bunt single, and Rivera followed with a single.
After a double steal, Cole Brannen continued to burn his former team with a two-run double off the glove of Price at first base, and Willie Estrada singled Brannen home to make the score 7-5 Florence.
Penner then walked to chase Spivey from the game, and Kyle Gaedele greeted reliever Ross Thompson (1-1) with a go-ahead, three-run home run, vaulting the Grizzlies ahead to stay at 8-7.
Gateway would add two runs in the sixth with two outs on an Estrada two-run single, then three more with two outs in the seventh on a home run by Richards to take a 13-7 lead.
In the eighth, after an injury knocked Estrada out of the game, Lukas Veinbergs singled for his first professional hit in his first-ever pro at-bat, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI double by Penner to complete the scoring.
Five different Grizzlies finished with multiple RBIs in the 14-run, 16-hit effort, with the Grizzlies also stealing eight bases in the contest while only being caught once as they clinched the midweek series with their sixth consecutive win over Florence overall dating back to late June.
Now at a new season-high water mark of 19 games over .500 and 29-9 at home, Gateway will go for the three-game sweep against the Y’alls on Thursday, August 10, at 6:45 p.m., with Carson LaRue getting the start opposite Florence right-hander Ryan Watson.