GRIZZLIES DROP OPENER TO EVANSVILLE
SAUGET, Ill. — The Gateway Grizzlies took a 3-2 lead in the first inning, but they immediately thereafter relinquished it in a 5-4 loss to the Evansville Otters on Tuesday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
Gateway (26-37) scored on three walks, a wild pitch and a two-out, two-run Justin Ellison double in his first at-bat back from a nearly month-long absence due to injury.
Evansville (30-30) followed a pair of runs in the first inning with two more in the second and an insurance tally in the sixth. The Otters hit three home runs Tuesday; the Grizzlies have allowed 12 round-trippers to opposing teams in four games on their current homestand and 68 big flies in 63 games this season.
Jeff Cardenas supplied a pinch-hit RBI double to score pinch-runner Paul Russo with two outs in the ninth, but Cardenas was stranded at second base to end the game. Russo entered for Brennan Morgan after Morgan's one-out double.
Will Anderson (3-3) took the loss for the Grizzlies. He allowed five runs (all earned) over 5 1/3 innings and struck out seven. Colton Freeman, Chris Metrick and Grant Black combined to toss 3 2/3 scoreless innings out of the Gateway bullpen. Black retired all four batters he faced and struck out two.
Ellison had the only Grizzlies multi-hit game.
Gateway and Evansville will continue their three-game series with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch Wednesday at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
ABOUT THE GATEWAY GRIZZLIES: The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 100-yards from I-255 (10 minutes from downtown St. Louis). The Grizzlies offer baseball fans entertainment, the likes of which are difficult to find - affordable, family, fun in the comfortable GCS Credit Union Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. For tickets or general information please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call 618.337.3000.
ABOUT THE FRONTIER LEAGUE: The Frontier League is a professional, independent baseball organization. Since its inception, the Frontier League has provided millions of fans to a fun and exciting baseball experience within the American Midwest. Consisting of 12 teams in two divisions and 96 game schedules, the league is recognized for the amount of talented athletes that are picked up by various MLB teams every year.