SAUGET, Ill. — Alec Kisena struck out a career-high 11 batters to take his season total to a league-leading 44 in only 28 innings and the Gateway Grizzlies topped the Normal CornBelters, 6-4, in the rubber-match of a three-game series Sunday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
Gateway (10-11) fell behind 1-0 in the second inning, but came back with a Blake Brown RBI single to tie the game in the third inning before Artemis Kadkhodaian scored as part of a first-and-third attempted double-steal. Brown was caught in a rundown between first and second and tagged out, but he delayed long enough for Kadkhodaian to score from third base.
Brown drove in two more Grizzlies runs on a two-out double in the fifth inning. Normal (8-12) picked up single tallies in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but Gateway added two in the home half of the seventh on RBIs from Kadkhodaian and Cody Livesay.
Kisena (3-2) allowed three runs over six innings of work and picked up the win. He fanned 11 and walked only one, bringing his season marks to 44 strikeouts against just seven walks.
Grant Black locked down his first save with the Grizzlies.
Gateway is off Monday, but returns to action Tuesday in Evansville. First pitch against the Otters is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Bosse Field. After a three-game series on the road, the Grizzlies will return home for a seven-game homestand at GCS Credit Union Ballpark starting Friday night against the Florence Freedom.
