Grizzlies Rout Slammers to Begin Road Trip
Gateway sets new season-high in runs scored, ties high water mark for hits in blowout
JOLIET, ILL. – The Gateway Grizzlies jumped all over the Joliet Slammers early Friday night at Slammers Stadium, scoring seven runs over the first four innings before adding on late and coasting to a 16-2 win.
The attack was on right from the jump when Victor Castillo led off the game with a home run to right field, giving the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead before Joliet starter Eric Turner (0-2) could record an out. After Joliet's Blake Berry answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the first, Gateway came right back with a three-run second inning. Cole Brannen doubled in Mitchell Sanford for the first run before an RBI groundout by Castillo and a wild pitch plated the other two, making the score 4-1. The Slammers got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI single by Billy Sullivan to bring the score to 4-2, but the Grizzlies did not relent.
Leading off the third against Turner, Mark Shallenberger blasted his league-leading tenth home run of the season to put Gateway up 5-2. Two more runs followed in the top of the fourth on another Joliet wild pitch, and a run-scoring single by Dale Thomas.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Gage Vailes (2-0) was sharp, tossing five innings in the spot start and striking out three while permitting just two hits. Three relievers behind him also tossed four innings of shutout baseball, and in the process, the Grizzlies' offense racked up insurance runs late against the Slammers pitching staff.
Gateway piled on two runs in the seventh, including an RBI infield single by Brannen, then took advantage of four walks to score five runs in the eighth thanks to a two-run homer from Thomas, a wild pitch, a walk by Castillo, and an RBI groundout by Jose Alvarez. They would cap the night with two more runs in the ninth on back-to-back RBI hits by Brannen and Castillo, who combined for seven RBIs on the night.
Brannen, Sanford, and Thomas would all enjoy three-hit nights to lead the offensive barrage, as Gateway won their seventh straight game over the Slammers in Joliet dating back to the beginning of last season. They will look to make it back-to-back wins to start their trip in the middle game of the series on Saturday, May 30, at 6:05 p.m. CT, giving the ball to Ben Harris on the mound while Shaun Gamelin will throw for the Slammers at Slammers Stadium.
The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis in Sauget, Illinois. The Grizzlies offer baseball fans affordable, family fun at Arsenal BG Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. They have also won two Frontier League Organization of the Year Awards, four West Division titles, and the 2003 Frontier League Championship. For tickets or general information, please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call (618) 337-3000.
The Frontier League debuted in 1993, and is the largest of the Major League Baseball Partner Leagues, featuring teams stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway. More information and the complete 2026 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.