On Friday night, the Gateway Grizzlies roared back to victory with a jaw-dropping 18-3 demolition of the Mississippi Mud Monsters at Arsenal BG Ballpark. The Grizzlies racked up a season-high 22 hits and scored in nearly every inning, showcasing a relentless offensive onslaught.
The game started with a bang as Mark Shallenberger’s two-out RBI single in the first inning brought home Gabe Holt, followed by Abdiel Diaz’s RBI single to give Gateway an early 2-0 lead. Mississippi briefly stole the lead in the second with a two-run homer by Victor Diaz, but that was the last time they’d threaten. Grizzlies’ rookie pitcher Ben Harris (2-0) settled in for a quality start, tossing six innings with three strikeouts while allowing just those three runs.
Gateway’s bats, however, stole the show. In the second inning, Victor Castillo crushed a grand slam to right field, flipping the score to 6-3. The Grizzlies kept pouring it on with back-to-back RBI hits from Diaz and Dale Thomas, plus a passed ball and wild pitch, ballooning the lead to 10-3. The onslaught continued with two runs in the third, one in the fifth, three in the sixth, and single runs in the seventh and eighth, sealing the 18-3 final.
Five Grizzlies players notched at least three hits, with Dale Thomas leading the charge. Thomas went 4-for-5, scoring three runs and driving in three, marking a career-best night. Jose Alvarez, Abdiel Diaz, D.J. Stewart, and Edwin Mateo also had three-hit performances, while Thomas and three teammates each crossed the plate three times in a true team effort.
With a perfect 4-0 record against Mississippi this season, the Grizzlies look to keep the momentum rolling in the second game of the weekend series on Saturday, June 21. Zac Treece takes the mound for Gateway against Rodney Theophile, with first pitch at 6:30 p.m. CT. After this offensive clinic, the Mud Monsters better brace for another battle!
