SAUGET, Ill. — The Gateway Grizzlies fell into a 7-0 hole in the third inning Thursday and never recovered in a 9-4 loss to the Southern Illinois Miners at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
Gateway (31-43) lost its fifth straight game.
Southern Illinois (42-33) won its eighth game in a row and swept a four-game series for only the second time in its franchise history.
The Miners scored four runs in the first inning, another in the second, and two more in the third. Six different Miners had multiple hits.
Five Grizzlies had multi-hit performances, but they left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings and stranded 11 total runners. They collected 14 hits — only one fewer than the Miners’ 15 — but the big hits were elusive.
Dominic Topoozian (5-5) took the loss with eight runs (six earned) allowed over six innings. He struck out five.
Anthony Ray went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Zak Taylor added three singles. Matt Browndrove in two runs with a third-inning double.
Gateway will open a three-game series Friday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch against the Windy City ThunderBolts.
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