By: Ryan Paris
JOLIET, IL – Instead of a sword and shield, the weapon of choice was a bat and helmet on Princess night in Joliet.
After a tense game through seven innings, the Gateway Grizzlies (14-10), mashed five runs in the eighth to pull away from the Slammers (13-11).
The night began with optimism in the air, as baseball returned to the prison city following a successful road trip to Mississippi and Washington. Joliet worked a 5-3 record in their time away from Slammers Stadium.
It’s hard to declare a single series a turning point so early in the season, but with both teams holding identical 13-10 records entering the game, if any series could earn that label, this one would be it.
Bryan Pena and Gage Vailes started for the Slammers and Grizzlies respectively, both pitchers looking to bounce back from rough and abbreviated outings their last time toeing the slab.
And for the first three innings, that’s exactly what happened. Three hits allowed between the two starters.
It was Gateway’s Dale Thomas who struck first, knocking in a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, but Joliet, responded with a Dylan Goldstein sacrifice fly.
The Grizzlies, though towards the top of the league in home runs, opted for a small ball approach in the top of the fifth, using a sacrifice bunt to set up another run scoring opportunity for DJ Stewart.
Joliet finally got the inning they were looking for in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game with timely knocks and savvy baserunning from Liam McArthur and Antonio Valdez.
As the drama grew and the game turned over to the relievers, the crowd, adorned in tiaras and dresses, willed their team on.
Chase Hopewell had been a fortress in the Slammers bullpen all year. But in the eighth inning, the Grizzlies knocked down the castle walls.
It started with a perfectly executed hit and run from Dale Thomas and Jose Alvarez, turning a runner on first into runners at the corners with nobody out. Then, Corbin Shaw delivered the go-ahead run via sacrifice fly.
The Grizzlies didn’t stop, plating two more runs on a Tate Wargo double down the right field line. He came around to score with a Gabe Holt single. Suddenly, what was setting up for a fairytale ending turned into the opposite.
The Slammers tried to string together a late surge, but the deficit was too large, and the team fell short.
Joliet looks to bounce back tomorrow against the Grizzlies. First pitch is at 6:05pm.
For information on season tickets, premium suites or group outings, please visit the Slammers’ official website at www.jolietslammers.com.
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The Joliet Slammers play in downtown Joliet, Illinois, and are members of the professional, independent Frontier League. The Frontier League is the largest MLB Partner League with 16 teams spanning from the Mississippi River to the East Coast. Visit the Slammers online atwww.jolietslammers.com or call the ticket office at 815-722-2287 for more information! Don’t forget to “Like” the Slammers on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/jolietslammers, follow them on Instagram at @jolietslammersofficial or follow them on Twitter at @jolietslammers!
