Grizzlies Tripped Up In Extras

SAUGET – The Gateway Grizzlies lost 4-3 in 10 innings to the Washington Wild Things on Thursday night at Grizzlies Ballpark, suffering their second series loss in a row after taking the first game as well as their fourth loss overall in five games and the third of which by just one run.

The game opened as another pitcher’s duel between Teague Conrad and Washington’s Christian James, neither of whom allowed a single hit until the bottom of the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth, the visitors broke through for the game’s first runs, using back-to-back leadoff singles and a groundout to shortstop by Ricardo Sanchez to take a 1-0 lead. Conrad then broke Carson Clowers’ bat on a ground ball up the first base line, but it turned into an infield single which allowed the second run to score and make it 2-0.

Gateway would get one run back in the bottom of the inning when Tate Wargo and Abdiel Diaz both singled to lead off the fifth, setting up runners at second and third base with no one out. Gabe Holt’s ground ball to shortstop made the score 2-1, though Diaz was thrown out also trying to advance on the play after the ball was released.

Conrad would make that stand up over the next two frames, completing seven innings for the third straight start and setting a new career-high with 10 strikeouts. In the bottom of the seventh, Cole Brannen singled with one out, and Wargo doubled into the right field corner, again setting up the Grizzlies with runners at second and third base. After Diaz was intentionally walked to load the bases, Holt reached on a fielder’s choice that plated the tying run and made it 2-2.

The Wild Things took the lead back, however, on a two-out RBI double down the first base line by Wagner Lagrange off Alec Whaley. The game went to the ninth, where Gyeongju Kim (2-1) struck out the first two batters he faced, but Brannen reached first on a wild pitch, then stole second when Wargo struck out afterwards. Down to their final out, Diaz parked an RBI triple into the left-center field gap, forcing the game into extra innings.

In the top of the tenth, the Wild Things scored the automatic runner in the International Tiebreaker off Lukas Veinbergs (0-2), taking a 4-3 lead. In the bottom half, Jack-Thomas Wold reached on an infield single, advancing the tying run to third base with two outs, but D.J. Stewart struck out swinging to end the game, as the Grizzlies finished the night just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the close loss.

Gateway will look to bounce back quickly on Friday, June 14, when their home stand continues against the Windy City ThunderBolts. First pitch at Grizzlies Ballpark is slated for 6:30 p.m.

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