GRIZZLIES BATTLE BACK IN NINTH TO WALK-OFF AND SWEEP THUNDERBOLTS
SAUGET, Ill. -- The Gateway Grizzlies scored two runs in the ninth inning to come from behind and defeat the Windy City ThunderBolts 6-5 Sunday night at GCS Ballpark.
Gateway (12-21) completed the sweep of the ThunderBolts with the victory and finished their six-game homestand with a 5-1 record. Windy City (14-17) has now lost four consecutive one-run games.
The Grizzlies trailed three different times, but had an answer for every ThunderBolt rally. The final answer came in the final inning. With Gateway trailing 5-4, Rolando Gomez and Cody Livesay delivered back-to-back singles to put the winning run on base. Jared Welch advanced both runners into scoring position with a bunt and Ryan Soares tied the game with a one-out RBI single.
That brought up Madison Beaird with the winning run at third base in Livesay. Beaird hit a slow groundball to first base that was fielded cleanly by Austin Gallagher. Livesay charged home on the play and his slide kicked the ball out of catcher Larry Balkwill's glove to give Gateway its second walk-off win of the season.
Windy City also had leads of 2-0 and 4-2 in the game thanks to four home runs. Mike Torres hit a solo home run in the first inning and after Gateway tied the game 2-2, Jonathan Garcia and Austin Gallagher began the fifth inning with back-to back home runs.
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Gateway answered every rally all night and scored lone runs in the fifth and sixth inning to tie the game back up at 4-4. Newcomer Jared Welch delivered an RBI single in the fifth inning to score Livesay and Rolando Gomez singled in a run the following inning.
RHP Scott Harkin (1-1) earned the victory after pitching two innings of scoreless ball in relief. James Jones (0-1) took the loss after allowing the Grizzlies to comeback in the ninth inning.
The bottom of the lineup led the way for Gateway with Gomez, Livesay, and Welch combining to go 6-11 with two RBI's.
After a day off Monday, Gateway will hit the road and travel to Avon, Ohio to take on the Lake Erie Crushers for a three-game series. JaVaun West (2-4, 5.62) will pitch for the Grizzlies in the series opener. The game can be heard on the Grizzlies Radio Network, which airs on 101 ESPN's digital platforms and 1400 AM KJFF. Sam Levitt will call the action.