SAUGET – The Gateway Grizzlies scored seven runs in the bottom of the third inning, busting open a 1-1 game with their biggest offensive frame of the season to back another outstanding start by Deylen Miley (4-3) in a 10-2 victory over the New England Knockouts on Wednesday night at Grizzlies Ballpark.
New England touched up Miley for the game’s first run in the top of the first inning on a John Cristino solo homer, but in the bottom of the second, Kevin Krause went deep to right field for a home run of his own, drawing the Grizzlies back even at 1-1. Then, in the bottom of the third, Peter Zimmermann gave Gateway the lead at 2-1 with a solo homer of his own to right field.
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But the best was yet to come in the inning for the home team against New England starter Matt Cronin (1-5). With one out, Jack-Thomas Wold doubled, and Krause singled before newest Grizzlie Victor Castillo walked to load the bases. Jose Alvarez then brought in another run on an RBI fielder’s choice, making it a 3-1 game. Abdiel Diaz followed two pitches later with an RBI single to center field for a 4-1 lead, and the Grizzlies would cap off the inning in very short succession on the next two pitches by Cronin, with Gabe Holt’s RBI single making it 5-1, and D.J. Stewart bashing a three-run homer to left-center field to put Gateway up 8-1.
That was all Miley needed, as the Gateway right-hander set new career-highs with seven innings pitched as well as 12 strikeouts, permitting just two earned runs on four hits to earn his fourth win of the season. New England got back on the board in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Cristino, but that was the only hit Miley allowed in the final four innings he threw.
Gateway would complete their scoring in the bottom of the eighth, as Stewart and Zimmermann led off with singles before David Maberry rocketed an RBI double down the left field line for his first Gateway run batted in and a 9-2 lead. Wold brought in another run with an RBI groundout to cap the scoring for the Grizzlies, who amassed 15 hits as a team for the second straight game against the Knockouts in front of 4,176 fans in Sauget.
The Grizzlies will now go for the series win in the rubber game on Independence Day, Thursday, July 4, at 7:05 p.m. CT. Kaleb Hill will pitch for the Grizzlies against New England’s Ben Seiler in a matchup of lefties.
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