The Gateway Grizzlies manufactured a run in the top of the tenth inning Wednesday to win 3-2 against the Normal CornBelters.
With the score tied 2-2 in the tenth, Grizzlies’ infielder Rolando Gomez walked and stole second base. With Blake Brown at the plate, Gomez took off for a swipe of third base when CornBelters’ catcher Dylan Kelly made a wild throw into left field. Gomez came around to score and it gave Gateway a 3-2 lead.
Grizzlies RHP Brett Zawacki (1-0) sealed the victory with two scoreless frames of relief work during the ninth and tenth innings.
Gateway (1-4) got on the board first with two runs in the third inning. Jorge Chavarria crossed home plate on a double play to make it 1-0 Grizzlies. Brown singled in the next at-bat to score Shawn Payne from third, which put the Grizzlies up 2-0.
Grizzlies’ starting pitcher Max Schonfeld was solid in his professional baseball debut. The righty, who grew up just outside New York City, allowed one unearned run in six innings on the mound. CornBelters’ starter Chris Carmain matched Schonfeld for most of the day, allowing only two runs in seven innings.
With the Grizzlies leading 2-1 in the seventh, Normal (3-2) pulled even when Mark Micowski hit a run-scoring sacrifice fly against Gateway RHP David Murillo. The score remained tied until the Grizzlies broke through with the winning run in the tenth.
The extra-inning affair gave the Grizzlies their first victory of 2015. Gateway looks to make it two wins in a row when they play the final game of a three-game set in Normal on Thursday. First pitch is a 6:35 p.m. The Grizzlies send RHP JaVaun West (0-0) to the mound against Normal RHP Kevin Johnson (0-0).
