The Gateway Grizzlies gave up seven home runs on Wednesday night, four of which came in a seven-run top of the fourth inning, and got blown out in the middle game of the midweek series by the Lake Erie Crushers 13-1 at Arsenal BG Ballpark.
Nothing went the Grizzlies’ way in the game almost from the opening pitch. Four batters in, Kenen Irizarry hit a two-run double off Bennett Stice that made it 2-0. It stayed that way until the top of the third inning, when both Irizarry and Sam Franco hit homers to increase the margin to 5-0, chasing Stice from the game.
After Claudio Galva came in and got a flyout for the second out of the inning, Derek Vegas’ ground ball to shortstop was thrown wide of first base for an error by Sawyer Smith, and after a single, Burle Dixon and Scout Knotts hit home runs back-to-back, making the score 9-0.
The home runs kept on flying off the Lake Erie bats in the next two innings, with Alfredo Gonzalez making it 10-0 on a solo shot in the fourth, and Dixon hitting his second homer of the night in the fifth for an 11-0 margin. The Crushers would complete their scoring in the ninth with two more tallies on another home run by Franco and a sacrifice fly by Vegas.
Xander Lovin provided a bright spot for Gateway by pitching the final six and one-third innings of the ballgame, saving the rest of the Grizzlies’ bullpen. The Grizzlies’ lone run came in the ninth on an RBI fielder’s choice by Edwin Mateo, accounting for the final 13-1 score.
Gateway will look to put the loss behind them in the rubber game of the midweek series, which will also decide the season series between the two clubs. First pitch on Thursday, August 14, at Arsenal BG Ballpark is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
