Gateway’s Gabe Holt had a home run and RBIs in both Grizzlies’ wins over Evansville on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy: Gateway Grizzlies)
Jason Barnes
Staff Writer
EVANSVILLE, IN — The Gateway Grizzlies got back onto the winning track on Wednesday, by sweeping a doubleheader from the Evansville Otters by scores of 5-3 and 3-1, clinching a road series win, while also improving the team’s record to 3-2 as it nears conclusion of the first week of the 2024 Frontier League season.
Game 1 – Gateway 5, Evansville 3
| Frontier League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Grizzlies (2-2) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Evansville Otters (2-2) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
In Game 1, the Grizzlies struck first in the second inning. Jose Alvarez reached base on an error by Otters third baseman Jomar Reyes, and both Mark Vierling and Cole Brannen followed with singles to load the bases for Michael Sandle, who drew a walk off Otters starter Zach Smith (0-1) to put Gateway up 1-0. An RBI groundout by Gabe Holt then made the score 2-0.
In the third, Peter Zimmermann doubled to lead off, and D.J. Stewart singled before Jack-Thomas Wold’s sacrifice fly increased the lead to 3-0.
The Otters would strike back in the bottom of the inning with two outs, however, using back-to-back homers by Reyes and Randy Bednar to tie the score at 3-3. It was the only runs allowed in four solid innings by Nathanial Tate (1-0), with the right-hander striking out five in his season debut.
But the Grizzlies persevered, and in the fifth inning, another error by Reyes allowed Zimmermann to reach base. Stewart then walked, and Wold lined an RBI single to right field to make it 4-3 Gateway.
Alvarez followed with a sacrifice fly to center field for a 5-3 score, and the Grizzlies’ bullpen held the lead the rest of the way, with Lukas Veinbergs working around a bases-loaded jam in the seventh for his second save of the year.
Game 2 – Gateway 3, Evansville 1
| Frontier League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Grizzlies (3-2) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Evansville Otters (2-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
In Game 2, the Grizzlies again took advantage of the Otters’ sloppy defense to go ahead, with Holt reaching on a leadoff error by shortstop Riley Delgado in the third inning before Stewart cranked a two-run home run to left-center field, his first of the year, for a 2-0 lead. Holt smashed a solo shot of his own in the fifth inning off Otters starter Braden Scott (0-2) to make it a 3-0 game.
Although Evansville got a run back in their half of the inning on an RBI groundout by David Mendham, it was the only run they scored off Tyler Cornett (1-0) in his Gateway debut across four and two-thirds innings. Matt Hickey pitched the next inning and two-thirds, and Osvaldo Berrios picked up his first save with a scoreless seventh as the Grizzlies clinched just their second series win at Bosse Field since 2016.
The Grizzlies will go for the series sweep on Thursday, May 16, at 6:35 p.m., sending Deylen Miley to the mound against Evansville’s Parker Brahms at Bosse Field.
UPCOMING GATEWAY GRIZZLIES BASEBALL GAMES
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2024 (Thursday) | 6:35 pm | Away | Evansville Otters | Bosse Field / Evansville, IN |
| May 17, 2024 (Friday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Windy City Thunderbolts | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |
| May 18, 2024 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Windy City Thunderbolts | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |
| May 19, 2024 (Sunday) | 1:05 pm | Home | Windy City Thunderbolts | Grizzlies Ballpark / Sauget, IL |
| May 21, 2024 (Tuesday) | 5:40 pm | Away | Florence Y’alls | More Stadium / Florence, KY |
| May 22, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5:40 pm | Away | Florence Y’alls | More Stadium / Florence, KY |
| May 23, 2024 (Thursday) | 5:40 pm | Away | Florence Y’alls | More Stadium / Florence, KY |
| May 24, 2024 (Friday) | 6:05 pm | Away | Washington Wild Things | Wild Things Park / Washington, PA |
| May 25, 2024 (Saturday) | 6:05 pm | Away | Washington Wild Things | Wild Things Park / Washington, PA |
| 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 |