TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The Gateway Grizzlies scored four runs in the ninth inning, but left runners at second and third and their comeback attempt fell short Sunday night in an 8-7 loss to the Traverse City Beach Bums at Wuerfel Park.
Gateway (22-31) took a 3-0 lead in the first two innings behind RBIs from Shane Mardirosian, Blake Brown and Paul Russo. Russo had singles in each of the first two innings.
But the Beach Bums (24-26) fired back with eight unanswered runs — one in the second and five in the fifth.
Alec Kisena (4-3) took the loss for the Grizzlies. Jordan Desguin (6-2) snared the win for the Beach Bums. Desguin allowed three runs on six hits in the first two innings, then retired 16 Grizzlies in a row to finish his start.
Gateway did not have a baserunner from Russo’s two-out single in the second inning through the end of the eighth — a total of 19 batters straight.
In the ninth, though, the Grizzlies battled back with four runs. Brent Sakurai and Jhonniel Alvarez singled and Russo doubled with the Grizzlies down to their final out — Russo was down to his final strike. With Alvarez at third as the potential tying run and Russo at second as the potential go-ahead run, John Price Jr. struck out to end the game.
Russo had three hits; Sakurai and Alvarez both had two. Connor Leedholm, J.R. Holloway and Chris Metrick all contributed scoreless innings out of the Grizzlies’ bullpen.
Gateway will be off Monday-Thursday for the Frontier League All-Star Break before returning home to GCS Credit Union Ballpark to face the River City Rascals in a three-game series that opens Friday at 7:05 p.m.
