TOPOOZIAN FIRES GEM, GRIZZLIES WIN 2-1
SAUGET, Ill. — Dominic Topoozian hurled seven innings and allowed only one Joliet Slammers run to lead the Gateway Grizzlies to a 2-1 win Friday night in the series opener at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
Gateway (26-36) has won back-to-back games. Topoozian (5-4) earned his first win since June 19 and lowered his ERA to 3.16 for the season.
Joliet (25-38) took a third-inning lead on a solo home run from Jimmy Roche, but Topoozian allowed only two other hits and struck out a season-high five batters.
Luis Román doubled to lead off the seventh inning and scored on a Shawon Dunston Jr. RBI single; Dunston Jr. then came in to score and give the Grizzlies the lead when Zak Taylor looped a single into left-center field.
Gateway improved to 5-29 this season when trailing after the fifth inning.
Lucas Lanphere tossed a perfect eighth inning for a hold and Geoff Bramblett, pitching for the third time in as many days, threw a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout for his sixth save of the season in six chances.
Román and Gunnar Buhner had the Grizzlies' two multi-hit games Friday.
Gateway and Joliet will continue their four-game series with game two Saturday at 7:05 p.m. CDT. Chris Carden (5-1, 3.60) is scheduled to start for the Grizzlies.
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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 10 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.