By: Thomas English
JOLIET, IL– The Gateway Grizzlies continued their success against the Slammers with a 1-0 victory in the series opener Tuesday night.
A pitching duel broke out in Joliet as neither team tallied a run until Gateway (44-28) broke the scoring open in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Gabe Holt.
His single was the Grizzlies first and only hit of the game and scored Tate Wargo, who reached after being hit by a pitch and wound up at third base after a stolen base and a wild pitch.
Joliet (30-43) nabbed three hits in the contest, but did not have enough to muster any runs in the game. It marks the fourth time they have been shut out this season.
Victor Nova was the lone bright spot offensively for the Slammers as he reached three times, including two of the team’s three hits on the night.
Defensively, both teams shined as the starting pitching became the highlight of the night as Gateway’s Deylen Miley and Joliet’s Geno Encina battled it out.
Miley, the Frontier League’s leader in strikeouts, was dominant once again in Joliet, talling six innings pitched while allowing just one hit. He fanned another eight batters and walked three in the evening.
Encina had another stellar night for the Slammers, going eight innings and allowing one run on one hit. He managed to strike out three Gateway hitters while conceding just one walk.
Both pitchers stole the show, but Miley wound up with the win as he improved to 7-3 on the year. Encina gets tagged with a loss and falls to 4-3.
Joliet suffers losses in back-to-back games as they continue to lack offense against the Grizzlies. They scored just three runs through a three-game series against Gateway in Joliet just a couple of weeks ago.
Gateway stays hot and continues to bolster their lead for the second spot in the West Division playoff race as they improve to 23-13 on the road. They hold a 9-1 record against the Slammers this season as well.
The Slammers will look to even the series tomorrow, August 7, on Teacher Appreciation Night. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.
For information on season tickets, premium suites or group outings, please visit the Slammers’ official website at www.jolietslammers.com.
