SAUGET, Ill. — Gateway Grizzlies outfielder Cody Livesay stole his 58th career base in the third inning Saturday night to set a new franchise record, but Gateway lost 9-5 to the Traverse City Beach Bums at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
Livesay has swiped 11 bases in 12 tries this season, and No. 58 of his four-year Grizzlies career broke a tie with former Gateway infielder Jonathan Johnson. Livesay and Johnson also share the Grizzlies’ hitting streak record at 23 games.
Gateway (25-36) took a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning on Jeff Cardenas‘ first professional home run, a mammoth solo shot over the 16-foot wall in dead center field.
But the Beach Bums (30-28) bounced back with a game-tying solo homer from Connor Oliver to lead off the seventh, then scored four runs in the ninth to win. Traverse City launched six home runs (only one of the Beach Bums’ seven hits was not a big fly) — five solo shots and one two-run bomb. Oliver was the only Beach Bums with multiple round-trippers.
Blake Brown had a two-run homer of his own in the fourth inning — his second big fly this week and 10th of the season.
Kevin Simmons (0-2) took the loss for the Grizzlies. Alec Kisena allowed five runs (all earned) on five solo home runs over six-plus innings of work, but he did not factor in the decision.. Josh Glick tossed two scoreless innings of relief and fanned two.
Saturday night marked the first time the Grizzlies dropped to 11 games below .500 in 2018.
Gateway and Traverse City will conclude their three-game series Sunday at 6:05 p.m. at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. After taking Monday off, the Grizzlies will finish their six-game homestand with a three-game set against the Evansville Otters starting Tuesday.
