SCHAUMBURG – The Gateway Grizzlies battled the Schaumburg Boomers on Tuesday night in a game that went back and forth throughout, with a three-run top of the seventh inning putting the baseball bears ahead for good in an 8-7 triumph at Wintrust Field, drawing the Grizzlies to within one-half game of Schaumburg for first place in the West Division standings.
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The matchup between the two top teams in the division all season long lived up to the billing. Schaumburg struck first with two runs in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Nick Podkul and an RBI single by Anthony Calarco off Gage Vailes, but the right-hander was able to settle in over the next two frames, giving the Grizzlies’ offense a chance to respond.
The response came courtesy of a three-run top of the fourth, with Gabe Holt lining a two-run double over the leaping shortstop Will Prater to knot the score at 2-2, and Edwin Mateo laying down a bunt RBI single with the infield playing back to make it 3-2 Grizzlies. Gateway could not get the shutdown inning in the bottom of the fourth, however, with Prater lacing a single to center field to make it 3-3 with two outs.
The Boomers then vaulted in front with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, going ahead on a solo home run by Chase Dawson before an RBI single by Banks Tolley and a fielder’s choice play off the bat of Aaron Simmons as they widened their lead to 6-3, and knocked Vailes out of the game.
But again, the Grizzlies had an answer, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the sixth thanks to an RBI single by D.J. Stewart and a sacrifice fly by Holt, with the latter’s third RBI of the game tying his career-high. Then, after Schaumburg yet again got a run on the board in the “shutdown inning” on another RBI hit by Tolley to make it 7-5, Gateway would come up huge in the top of the seventh to take the lead for good.
Sawyer Smith and Jose Alvarez both singled to lead off the inning before executing a double-steal. Victor Castillo worked a walk to load the bases off Dylan Stutsman (6-3), and Stewart hit a sinking line drive to left field that missed the glove of a sliding Simmons, tying the score at 7-7. Three batters later, with the bases re-loaded. Dale Thomas drew a walk to force in the go-ahead run and put Gateway in the lead.
The Grizzlies’ bullpen did the rest- after Alvery De Los Santos (4-0) and Alec Whaley pitched perfect innings in the seventh and eighth, Francis Peguero was called upon in the ninth, and worked around a leadoff single to retire the side for the save as Gateway lowered their “magic number” for a playoff berth down to four.
The Grizzlies will look to win the series in Schaumburg in the middle game on Wednesday, August 20, with a starter to be determined facing Boomers ace Cole Cook in the pitching matchup at 6:30 p.m. CT at Wintrust Field.
