Home Baseball Grizzlies Claw Past Freedom in Extra Innings Opener

Grizzlies Claw Past Freedom in Extra Innings Opener

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FLORENCE, Ky– With Gateway (29-59) and Florence (55-34) stalemated at three and Terry McClure starting the top of the eleventh on second base courtesy of the International Tie-Breaker rule, Jack Hranec dropped a single in to right off Freedom reliever Mike Anthony (0-2) pushing the go-ahead run to third base. Rogers then broke the tie with his second hit of the evening, a single that scored McClure and gave the Grizzlies a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish. Kyle Richards (1-0) sealed his first professional win with a clean bottom of the eleventh the featured a game ending strike ’em out throw ’em out double play.

Gateway started the scoring in the top of the second when Blake Brown singled but advanced to third base thanks to an Austin Wobrock throwing error. Rogers plated Brown with an ensuing single and eventually came around to score himself on a Brent Gillespie double to the gap in right center.

However, Collins Cuthrell cut the deficit in half with a moon-shot solo homer off Will Anderson in the bottom of the second and Daniel Fraga evened the score at 2 with a third inning RBI-single that scored Wobrock who doubled.

Following five quiet innings at the plate, the Grizzlies evened the score in the top of the eighth. Back-to-back singles by Brent Sakurai and Dan Holst setup a two out RBI-single from McClure that tied the game at 3. Sakurai who scored the tying run, collected two hits and made a pair of outstanding defensive plays at shortstop over the course of the evening.

Gateway starting pitcher Will Anderson was impressive over five innings surrendering two earned runs on four scattered hits with six strikeouts in a no decision.  Trevor Bauer followed Anderson on the mound allowing one run in one inning of work before Ruger Rodriguez, Tanner Cable and Kyle Richards combined for five shutout innings of relief the rest of the way.

The Grizzlies will look for the series victory on Saturday with a TBD pitcher opposing Freedom southpaw Braulio Torres-Perez. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at UC Health Stadium.

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