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MARION, Ill. – After letting a late lead slip away in the first portion of their doubleheader on Wednesday night, the Grizzlies secured a comeback victory in the second game at Rent One Park to earn a split of a doubleheader against the Southern Illinois Miners.
In game two, the Grizzlies trailed 4-1 entering the fourth inning. They clawed back by scratching across three runs to tie the game in the top half of the frame.
The game remained tied at 4-4 until the seventh, when Blake Brown led off with a single and then stole second. Miners RHP Kevin Walsh (0-1) threw a wild pitch and Brown scurried for third base as Miners third baseman Steve Marino was unable to field a bounced throw cleanly from Riley Moore. The ball trickled into the outfield as Brown raced for home to give Gateway a 5-4 lead.
LHP Corey Kimes made his debut for the Grizzlies on the mound in game two, allowing four runs in four innings. The Grizzlies pulled even as their bullpen did a splendid job in allowing no runs during the game’s final three frames.
LHP Jon Jones, RHP Jordan Wellander (1-0), and RHP JaVaun West combined to allow just two hits in relief of Kimes. West picked up his first save of 2016.
In game one, the Grizzlies pulled out to a 3-1 lead in the third inning against Miners LHP Rick Teasley. Gateway’s offense managed to string together four straight two-out hits to score three runs, including RBI hits for Seth Heck, Craig Massoni, and Vin Guglietti.
After the Miners put a run across in the bottom half of the fifth, Gateway RHP Nate Carter (0-1) replaced starting right-hander Vince Molesky. Carter immediately surrendered the one-run edge by giving up a solo homer to Alex De Leon, which tied the game at 3-3.
Carter came back to strike out Aaron Gates, but he reached regardless on a dropped third strike. Marino then looped a fly ball down the right field line for an RBI triple to give Southern Illinois a 4-3 lead. The Miners tacked on another run in the frame to make it 5-3.
The Grizzlies’ offense fought back in the top half of the seventh as they loaded the bases with one out. Miners RHP Isaac Gil retired Guglietti and Brown to end the game, while stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on base.
RHP Joe Iorio (1-0) picked up the victory with two scoreless frames for the Miners in game one.
Gateway and Southern Illinois play the rubber game of their three-game set on Thursday night at Rent One Park. RHP Trevor Richards (0-1, 5.78 ERA) makes his second start of 2016 while the Miners send RHP Jarett Miller (0-1, 3.00 ERA) to the hill.
The game can be heard on the Grizzlies Radio Network, which airs tomorrow evening on 1400 AM KJFF and www.GatewayGrizzlies.com/Radio
