Storms cause Grizzlies game to be washed out

Severe thunderstorms that ripped through the metro-east Wednesday caused the Gateway Grizzlies-Southern Illinois Miners Frontier League game to be postponed.

A light rain falling when the first pitch was thrown at 7:05 p.m. turned into a heavy shower just seven minutes later when play was suspended. After a delay of 50 minutes with rain pelting down and severe thunderstorms approaching quickly, the decision to postpone was announced as a sparse crowd headed torward the parking lots at GCS Ballpark.

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The opener will be a nine inning game with with the nightcap being a seven inning contest.

Two games behind East Division leading Traverse City when the series began Tuesday, Southern Illinois (25-15) won the opener of the three-game set 5-4 Tuesday. The Grizzlies entered play losers of five of their last six games.

Grizzlies notes: After the Gateway-Southern Illinois series concludes, the Frontier Greys then invade GCS Ballpark for a two game series Friday and Saturday. Both games begin at 6:35 p.m. with a huge Fourth-of-July fireworks show to follow both nights.

Another arm: The Grizzlies added another arm to the bullpen Wednesday with the signing of 26-year-old right-hander Bryon Minnich to a contract. A native of Thousand Oaks, Calif, Minnich last pitched for the Wichita Wingnuts of the American Association.

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Storms cause Grizzlies game to be washed out."