Sauget, IL (June 16, 2022) – The Gateway Grizzlies dropped the series opener against the Joliet Slammers 15-1 Friday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. 

Joliet went to work right away offensively against J.P. Williams (2-3) in the top of the first inning thanks to a Matt Burch leadoff solo home run for a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second inning, the Slammers continued their scoring with five more home runs in the next three frames combined, with Luke Mangieri and Scott Holzwasser smacking two apiece, and Tyler Depreta-Johnson also going deep as Joliet built a 12-0 cushion. 

The Grizzlies were able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning when Peter Zimmermann notched a solo home run of his own to make it 12-1. But that was all the Grizzlies could muster on the night, as Joliet added to their run total in the top of the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly to make it 13-1, then plated two more runs in the top of the ninth on two groundouts following a pair of walks and a passed ball to finish the scoring in the lopsided contest. 

Trevor Charpie pitched six and two-thirds innings and struck out six batters for the win on the mound for the visiting Slammers. 

The Grizzlies will continue the series with Joliet on Saturday night, June 18, at 6:45 p.m. at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. Brendan Feldmann will get the start on the mound for Gateway in the middle game against Cam Aufderheide for the visiting Slammers.