SAUGET, Ill. – A six-run, 10-batter fourth inning gave the Gateway Grizzlies all they needed to complete their first series sweep of 2021, knocking down the Lake Erie Crushers 7-3 on Thursday at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
The Crushers drew first blood in the top of the second inning. Karl Ellison came home on a wild pitch shortly before Eric Callahan hit a sacrifice fly to center, putting Lake Erie ahead 2-0 early.
That did not last long, however. In the fourth, Abdiel Diaz poked a bases-loaded single to cut the deficit to 2-1. Two batters later, Jordan Rathbone got plunked to bring in Andres Regnault—his first professional RBI—and even the score 2-2.
Then, Dustin Woodcock smoked a hard rolling grounder to the wall in right-center for a bases-clearing double, giving Gateway a comfortable 5-2 edge. Woodcock scored the next at-bat after Crushers second baseman Trevor Achenbach threw wildly to first trying to eliminate Ty Moore.
The situation repeated itself in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Moore reached on another Lake Erie error to bring in Connor Owings and put the Grizzlies ahead 7-2.
Achenbach made up for his earlier error in the top of the eighth with a solo homer to left to slice the Crushers hole to 7-3, but that was the only additional tally Lake Erie could muster.
Gateway RHP Sam Gardner (2-0) notched his second straight win, making it six innings while striking out five batters. Lake Erie RHP Aaron Glickstein (3-3) took the loss after giving up six runs, all of which were unearned.
The Grizzlies start another three-game home series on Friday when the Evansville Otters come to town. First pitch at GCS Credit Union Ballpark is set for 6:45 p.m and you can listen live on YO Radio or watch on Frontier League TV. Coverage begins with the Budweiser Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m.
For tickets to upcoming home games, call 618-337-3000.
