Sauget, Ill. – The Gateway Grizzlies scored five runs in the third inning to take an early lead and defeated the Evansville Otters 15-5 on Saturday night in game two of the Frontier League West Division Series.
Evansville and Gateway will play Sunday night in the series decider with the winner to advance to the Frontier League Championship Series.
Gateway worked seven walks and five hit-by-pitches. An eight-run eighth inning blew open the ballgame.
Evansville struck big early with four runs in the first inning. Noah Myers started the game with a triple off the left field wall. Jeffrey Baez brought Myers home with an RBI single.
Kona Quiggle then launched a three-run home run – his second straight at-bat with a homer.
Gateway used two walks to scratch across a run in the second inning.
The Grizzlies took the lead with five runs in the third frame. Two walks started the inning before two singles scored the first two runs. Two HBPs helped bring more Grizzlies’ runs across with a run scoring on a wild pitch and sacrifice flies scoring another two runs.
The Grizzlies added a run in the fourth for a 7-4 lead.
Dakota Phillips hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to trim the deficit to 7-5.
Gateway sealed the game with the eight-run eighth inning. The Grizzlies mounted five hits, took two walks and a HBP. A three-run home run capped the scoring.
Jon Beymer provided strong relief for the Otters. He tossed 3.2 innings allowing just one hit and one run with a stretch of eight in a row retired.
Parker Brahms suffered the defeat out of the bullpen allowing two runs.
Starter Collin Sullivan earned the win for Gateway with 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.
Myers led the Otters with two hits while Baez notched his fifth hit of the postseason.
The winner-take-all game three of the Frontier League West Division Series on Sunday is scheduled for a 7:05 PM CT first pitch from Sauget, Illinois.
