SAUGET, Ill. — The Gateway Grizzlies fell into a 5-0 hole after two innings Friday and could not climb all the way out in a 10-5 loss to the Washington Wild Things to open a three-game series at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
Washington (6-14) scored four runs in the first inning and one more in the second — all without a home run — to pile up a lead.
Gateway (8-11) answered with three runs in the third inning on an RBI infield single from Brent Sakurai and two-run Andrew Daniel homer (his second big fly in the last two games) to pull within 5-3. Each team scored a run in the fourth inning; the Grizzlies’ came on a leadoff solo round-tripper from Luke Lowery.
Lowery and Daniel are tied for the Grizzlies’ team lead with four home runs apiece. Daniel picked up his team-leading 13th and 14th RBIs of the year Friday as part of a 4-for-4 with night with a walk. It was the first Grizzlies four-hit game of the season.
Cody Luther (0-1) took the loss in his professional debut. He allowed six runs over 3 2/3 innings and struck out two.
Gateway and Washington will tangle in the second game of their three-game series Saturday at 7:05 p.m. CDT.
