SAUGET – The Gateway Grizzlies returned home from their trip to Canada on Tuesday night to Grizzlies Ballpark and got back on the winning track, shutting out the Washington Wild Things 1-0 to improve to 17-10 on the season.
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Kaleb Hill (1-0) got the start for Gateway, and the left-hander fired six shutout innings in his professional debut out of Georgia Gwinnett College, scattering five singles and two walks while striking out two and throwing 55 of his 88 pitches for strikes. The Pine Bluff, Arkansas native ran into trouble in the second inning when the Wild Things loaded the bases, but that was the only jam the southpaw encountered.
He also became the winning pitcher when the Grizzlies got the only run of the game on the board in the bottom of the third inning against Washington starter Zach Kirby (3-2). Cole Brannen reached on a bunt single with one out, and on a hit-and-run play, Abdiel Diaz lofted a double down the left field line, scoring Brannen all the way from first base just ahead of the tag at home plate for a 1-0 Gateway lead.
The Grizzlies’ bullpen was then able to hold that lead after Hill departed, with Nate Garkow and Alec Whaley tossing perfect innings in the seventh and the eighth.
In the ninth, after Lukas Veinbergs struck out Robert Chayka looking, he surrendered a double to Andrew Czech as well as a pair of walks around a fielder’s choice play at second base for the second out. With the bases loaded and Gateway one out away from victory, the right-hander fell behind 3-1 on Alex Ovalles, and the Washington right fielder scorched a line drive to center field that was caught by Brannen, ending the game.
The victory was the third over Washington in a row for the Grizzlies this season, all of them being shutout wins, with their scoreless streak against the Wild Things reaching 25 2/3 innings in the series opening contest.
The Grizzlies will look to take the series in the middle game on Wednesday morning, June 12, against the Wild Things in Sauget. Collin Sullivan draws the starting assignment for Gateway against Washington’s Malik Barrington, with a 10:45 a.m. CT first pitch scheduled at Grizzlies Ballpark.
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