On Tuesday night at Arsenal BG Ballpark, the Gateway Grizzlies fell 12-8 to the Evansville Otters after a tough sixth inning where the Otters surged ahead with seven runs.
Starting pitcher Claudio Galva (2-1) struggled early, surrendering a two-out RBI double to Pavin Parks in the first inning, followed by two more runs in the second, putting the Grizzlies down 3-0. Edwin Mateo’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second trimmed the deficit to 3-1, but Evansville extended their lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, making it 5-1.
Alec Whaley limited the damage in the fifth, allowing just one run despite inheriting a bases-loaded, no-out situation. However, the sixth inning proved costly. Whaley hit two consecutive batters, and four straight Evansville hits drove in four runs, pushing the score to 9-1. After Matt Hickey relieved Whaley, J.J. Cruz hit a three-run homer, ballooning the Otters’ lead to 12-1.
The Grizzlies mounted a late comeback, scoring the game’s final seven runs. Paxton Wallace’s solo home run in the sixth made it 12-2. In the eighth, Cole Brannen’s RBI double off the bench, a wild pitch, and Jose Alvarez’s RBI single brought in three runs, cutting the score to 12-5. In the ninth, after position players Brannen and Mateo pitched scoreless innings, Tanner Garrison took the mound and struck out David Mendham, sparking ejections of Mendham, Otters hitting coach T.J. Zarewicz, and manager Andy McCauley. The Grizzlies capitalized with a three-run homer by D.J. Stewart off Jon Beymer but couldn’t close the gap further, marking their second consecutive loss.
The Grizzlies aim to even the series against Evansville on Wednesday, June 25, with first pitch at 6:30 p.m. CT at Arsenal BG Ballpark.
