On Sunday night, the Gateway Grizzlies staged a valiant comeback attempt against the Mississippi Mud Monsters at Arsenal BG Ballpark, only to fall just short in an 8-7 defeat. Despite trailing by six runs in the eighth inning, the Grizzlies rallied to bring the tying run to third base in the ninth, showcasing their never-say-die spirit.
The Mud Monsters struck first, scoring three runs in the third inning off Gateway starter Lukas Veinbergs (2-3) and adding another in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. Mississippi’s starter, Luis Devers (4-3), kept the Grizzlies’ bats quiet until the sixth inning when Mark Shallenberger ignited the home crowd with a two-run homer—his second in as many games—cutting the deficit to 4-2.
The Grizzlies’ bullpen faced challenges in the later innings. Jett Thielke allowed a two-out, three-run homer in the seventh, and Bennett Stice gave up a run in the eighth, pushing Mississippi’s lead to 8-2. These runs would prove pivotal as Gateway mounted their comeback.
In the eighth, with Devers out of the game, the Grizzlies pounced on reliever Sergio Sanchez. Gabe Holt walked, Victor Castillo singled, and D.J. Stewart launched a three-run homer over the left-field wall, slicing the score to 8-5. The momentum carried into the ninth, where Jose Alvarez walked, and Castillo drew a two-out walk, prompting another pitching change.
Facing Chris Barraza, Stewart nearly turned the game around with a deep drive to left-center that fell just short of a walk-off homer, settling for an RBI double to make it 8-6. A wild pitch brought Castillo home, narrowing the gap to one run and putting the tying run at third. However, Shallenberger’s flyout to left field ended the game, as Mississippi held on to avoid a three-game sweep.
With the series win secured, the Grizzlies now look forward to a well-deserved off day on Monday. They’ll return to Arsenal BG Ballpark on Tuesday, June 24, to kick off a new series against the Evansville Otters at 6:30 p.m. CT. Claudio Galva will take the mound for Gateway as they continue their nine-game homestand.
