By: Braeden Jones
SAUGET, IL – The Joliet Slammers (31-46) started with a big lead in this game, but multiple homers from the Gateway Grizzlies (36-41) would flip the script and give the home team the 9-5 victory on Saturday.
The Slammers would strike first once the top of the 4th inning rolled around. Walks on Jackson Valera and Jackson Beaman alongside a single for Tyler Cerny would load the bases early on. Chris Davis, hoping to clear the bases, instead would be hit on the first pitch he saw which would freely score Valera from third base. That would not be all the free runners that Joliet got, as a walk on Brandon Heidal would score Beaman and a walk on Ian Battipaglia would score Cerny. The free passes would end but not the scoring as Blake Berry would lay down a 2-RBI single to score Davis and Heidal. That started the Slammers in front at 5-0.
The Grizzlies would begin to respond in the bottom of the 5th inning. Brennan Orf would start things off with a single and walks on Cole Brannen and Darryl Lee would push Orf to third base and get the bases loaded. A wild pitch would score Orf, but Brannen thought he had the angle as well and would be tagged out at home during that same sequence. Darryl Lee would be walked right after that and score off of an RBI double from Abdiel Diaz. That moved the score to 5-2.
Gateway would come right back in the bottom of the 6th and score another run. Sawyer Smith would step up to the plate to deliver a solo homer that got the Grizzlies a little bit closer to the lead at a 5-3 score.
Gateway would continue their scoring ways in the bottom of the 7th inning. Three walks on Derek Williams, Brannen, and Diaz would load the bases. Williams would get a free pass to home plate off a fourth walk on Dale Thomas. The bases would get cleared in the following batter when Bryson Horne delivered a grand slam that had just enough power to get out of right field. With one swing of the bat, the Grizzlies had their first lead of the day as they found themselves ahead at an 8-5 score.
Gateway snuck in another run in the bottom of the 8th. Brannen reappeared and knocked a ball out of the park for a solo home run, pushing the Grizzlies’ lead to 9-5.
The Slammers didn’t have another run in them, so the score would remain at 9-5 as the Grizzlies had evened up the series at 1-1.
After losing the lead late in this game, Joliet will look to bounce back on Sunday in the series capper against Gateway. The Grizzlies have hopes of winning the series against the Slammers and will have the chance to do so on Sunday.
