Saturday, Jul. 04, 2009

Gateway ensures grand finale for losing skid

SAUGET -- The torrid hitting pace of Joseph Scaperotta continued Friday at GCS Ballpark.

Scaperotta belted a grand slam in the first inning and added a two-run shot as part of a five-run outburst in the fifth inning as Gateway ended a four-game slide with a 12-10 win against Windy City.

In the midst of a 21-game hitting streak, in which he hit a blistering .368, Scaperotta extended his streak early when he hit a first-inning grand slam off starting and losing pitcher Brandon Garner.

The 22-game hitting streak is the third longest in the Frontier League this year.

Brandon Peters and Stephen Holdren added three hits each for the Grizzlies (14-25) who banged out 15 hits off four Windy City hurlers.

The win came despite two costly errors and some shaky Grizzlies pitching that allowed 15 hits.

"It's never easy. We did some of the same things and made some of the same mistakes which have cost us all year. We just happened to score more runs then they did tonight," Grizzlies manager Phil Warren said. "We did come out and hit the ball well and that was good to see."

Gateway exploded for five runs in the fifth as it ended Garner's night early.

Holdren and Charlie Lisk both had run scoring hits to start the uprising and when Scaperotta hit his 12th home run of the season, Gateway had an 8-2 lead.

It was the second time this season Scaperotta hit two home runs in a game, and the six RBI are a career high.

Trailing 9-2, Windy City came right back with five runs in the sixth, four on a grand slam by Gilberto Mejia, but key run-scoring hits by Peters and Holdren in the bottom of the sixth gave Gateway back its four run lead, 11-7.

Windy City (22-18) again rallied. The Thunderbolts scored once in the seventh, then added two in the eighth on a solo home run by Wilson Matos and two stolen bases by Mejia and a throwing error.

But rookie pitcher Kevin Hammon came on to retire the final two hitters in the eighth with the potential tying run on second base.

Lisk added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, when he belted his 13th home run of the season.

Joel Boeschen pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up the save.

The Thunderbolts wasted little time in taking the lead off Gateway starting and winning pitcher Adam Bowling (3-4). JT Restko drove in a run with a one-out single and Bowling, who threw almost 30 first inning pitches, issued a bases loaded walk to Nate Hall to force in the second run.

But Scaperotta then extended his club record hitting streak to 22 games.

"He (Scaperotta) is really swinging the bat well and has been for a few weeks," Warren said. "The thing I like is his approach at the plate. He's going up with a plan."

Brandon Peters led off the bottom of the first with a single and one out later consecutive singles by Stephen Holdren and Charlie Lisk loaded the bases.

Scaperotta then worked the count full and drove a 3-2 pitch well over the right field fence for a grand slam and a 4-2 Gateway lead.

Both Bowling and Garner settled down after the first inning. Neither team scored until the Grizzlies big fifth inning.