Cordoba Crushes Two Homers in Grizzlies’ Comeback Win

Newest Gateway outfielder hits go-ahead solo shot in ninth to complete rally from five down 

FLORENCE, KY. – The Gateway Grizzlies got a huge game at the plate from Jose Cordoba on Tuesday night in Florence, as the newcomer hit two home runs, including the game-winning smash in the ninth inning, to lead them to an 8-7, come-from-behind win over the Y'alls at Thomas More Stadium, the club's third in a row.

Bryson Horne got the party started with a two-run homer in the first inning off Florence starter John Girard, putting the Grizzlies up 2-0, but the lead would not hold, as Gage Vailes struggled, allowing seven runs (all with two outs) over his three innings on the mound to put Gateway behind 7-2.

After a couple of scoreless relief innings from Claudio Galva, the comeback began in the top of the sixth against Girard, when Horne doubled on the first pitch of the inning. Cordoba's first homer of the game came on the next pitch, a two-run blast down the left field line to make it a 7-4 game. Thanks to four subsequent walks in the inning by Florence pitching as well as Cole Brannen's sacrifice fly, the score sat at 7-5 after six full innings.

In the eighth, Davie Morgan led off with a single and Darryl Lee walked. After a sacrifice bunt by Brannen moved the runners up, Victor Castillo brought in one run with an RBI groundout, and Tate Wargo followed by coming up clutch, lining a two-out RBI single to left-center field that tied the game at 7-7.

Matt Hickey (3-1) then pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth inning with two strikeouts, and in the ninth, Cordoba led off against Florence all-star closer Aidan McEvoy (1-3), and teed off on a first-pitch fastball, sending his second long ball of the game 419 feet to left-center field to put the Grizzlies ahead 8-7. Julio Ortiz took care of the rest by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth for his second save, as the Grizzlies won their third straight contest for the first time since early June.

Now at 29-31 on the season, the Grizzlies will look to run their win streak to four in a row on Wednesday, July 22, in a morning game at Thomas More Stadium. Ben Gregory will pitch for Gateway against Florence southpaw C.J. Blowers, with first pitch scheduled for 9:35 a.m. CT.

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.