FLORENCE, KY. – The Gateway Grizzlies improved to 8-2 on the 2025 season by winning the opener of their six-game road trip over the Florence Y’alls by a score of 6-1 on Tuesday night at Thomas More Stadium.
Florence threatened to break the game early in the first few innings against Gage Vailes (1-0), getting on the board in the bottom of the first inning after a pair of leadoff walks on a sacrifice fly by T.J. Reeves, but being unable to expand on the 1-0 advantage.
The home team also made two outs on the bases in the next pair of innings, and eventually stranding six total men on base in the first three innings, allowing the Grizzlies to eventually pounce. In the top of the third inning, Edwin Mateo singled with one out, and then on a hit-and-run, Mark Shallenberger lined a double just fair inside the right field line. The ball was bobbled by Reeves in right field for an error, allowing Mateo to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Then, in the fifth, the Grizzlies worked more one-out magic to go ahead for good. Mateo again kicked things off by getting on base, this time on a walk, and Shallenberger was hit by a pitch to set up Jose Alvarez. The backstop came through with the go-ahead RBI single to give Gateway a 2-1 lead. But as has been the case multiple times this season, the Grizzlies would keep on piling on after that, turning it into a big inning thanks to consecutive RBI singles from Gabe Holt and Victor Castillo as well as an error at third base by Armani Smith that brought in another run to make the score 5-1 Grizzlies.
That was all Gateway needed. Vailes lasted five innings and struck out three batters while allowing just the one early run to earn his first win of the season. The Gateway bullpen was sharp behind him as well, with Francis Peguero, Keegan Collett, Matt Hickey, and Sam Coonrod combining to hold the Y’alls off the scoreboard in the final four innings of the game. A run-scoring single in the top of the ninth by Ross Friedrick gave the Grizzlies’ first baseman his team-leading 13th RBI on the year and accounted for the final score of 6-1.
Now 4-0 in series-opening games this season, Gateway will look to make it four straight series wins to begin 2025 in the middle contest against the Y’alls tomorrow, May 21, at Thomas More Stadium. Reigning Frontier League Pitcher of the Week Teague Conrad will pitch for the Grizzlies against Florence left-hander Evan Webster, with first pitch scheduled for 5:41 p.m. CT.
