Grizzlies second baseman Jose Rosario had four hits, including two home runs, and seven RBIs in Gateway’s victory over the Windy City ThunderBolts, Tuesday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget. (Photo by Nathan Assata)
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
SAUGET, IL – Gateway Grizzlies second baseman Jose Rosario had his best night as a professional ballplayer, Tuesday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
The 29 year-old, ninth-year pro from the Dominican Republic, had four hits, including two home runs, and piled up seven runs batted in to lead Gateway to a 13-8 victory over the visiting Windy City ThunderBolts.
Rosario’s best night previously came in 2019, when he was playing in the American Association’s Milwaukee Milkmen. One night for that team, Rosario hit two homers and drove in five runners in a game his team actually lost.
But on Tuesday, Rosario was the key factor in helping the Grizzlies pull out an exciting win over the ThunderBolts.
Things got started in the bottom of the first, when Gateway had four straight runners get hits.
Alonzo Jones, Andres Regnault, and Ty Moore got the first three hits, with Moore’s smash up the middle driving in Jones to give the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead. Rosario followed with a line drive to right that made it 2-0.
Windy City tied the score with runs in the top half of the second and third innings, but Rosario blasted his a homer over the centerfield wall that gave Gateway back the lead at 3-2.
The fifth inning was when the Grizzlies really got things going, as six of their first seven batters got hits, including a two-run double by Rosario, who later scored himself on a double by left fielder Jay Prather.
By the time that frame was over, Gateway had added another six runs to its total and was ahead 9-2.
Windy City got runs in each of the next three innings to make the score 9-7.
But Rosario and the Grizzlies went bombs away again in the bottom of the eighth, as they put up another four runs to go up 13-7.
The first three runners of the inning all reached base and that led to a run on an RBI groundout by Moore.
But the big blow of the inning and the entire game really, was a three-run blast off Rosario’s bat – his ninth homer of the season – that essentially put the game away.
Windy City added a run in the ninth, but they would get no more, and the Grizzlies would walk away with their second win in a row.
Starting pitcher Matt Mulhearn (2-3), a rookie from Webster University that Gateway signed a month ago, went six innings and allowed just three runs and six hits, to get the win.
Windy City’s Miguel Ausua (6-4), a rookie from Puerto Rico, allowed eight runs and 11 hits to take the loss.
The two clubs will play Game 2 of their three-game set, Wednesday at GCS, with veteran righthanders Tyler Thornton (4-7) and Geoff Bramblett (2-0) expected to start for the ThunderBolts and Grizzlies, respectively.
First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m.