Grizzlies stumble from second-half gate, fall to Greys 7-5

The Gateway Grizzlies opened the second half of their season Friday looking for a fresh start that could help them climb out of the basement of the Frontier League’s West Division.

Instead the struggling Grizzlies continued to plummet.

Light-hitting Frontier shortstop Francisco Rosario hit his first home run of the season— a two-run clout in the sixth inning — which proved to be the difference as the Greys went on for a 7-5 win before a crowd of 2,138 at GCS Ballpark.

Rosario’s home run, which came off Gateway starter Max Schonfeld, gave the Greys (24-25) a 6-5 lead.

Brandon Tierney added an RBI single in the ninth for an insurance tally and Nick Anderson, the fifth pitcher used by manager Vinny Ganz, pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to clinch the win.

The loss drops Gateway to 17-34 and once again it was a case of missed opportunities for manager Phil Warren’s ballclub. Gateway, which loaded the bases three times in the first four innings, left 10 men on base.

It wasn’t the start that Grizzlies veteran Richard Seigel and his teammates needed or wanted after a four-day All-Star break.

“The first half of the season wasn’t what we had hoped for, but there is still a lot of baseball to be played,’’ Seigel said. “This was a tough way to start the second half of the year, but we’ve got a great group of guys in that clubhouse.

“There are six teams which will make the playoffs and we’re hoping to make a push here to see if we can’t get that sixth spot.’’

Gateway starter Max Schonfeld had a rough outing before settling down. The Greys, who had won two of three previous meetings this season, struck for two runs in the first inning, as with one out Julio Rodriguez singled and went to third base on a double by Brandon Tierney.

Both runners scored on a two-run single by Scott Carcaise.

The Grizzlies got a run back in the bottom of the first when Frontier starter Justin D’Allesandro hit Cody Livesay with a pitch to lead off. Livesay then stole second base and advanced to third on a bunt single by Madison Beaird.

Ben Waldrip then hit into a double play, but Livesay came home with the Grizzlies first run of the night.

While Schonfeld (2-4) settled down and held the Greys scoreless over the next three innings, D’Allesandro and reliever Kyle Bogese walked seven batters over the next two innings.

Still, Gateway managed just one run during a span in which they left the bases loaded in both the second and third innings and with a chance to take command, instead found itself tied at 2.

But the third time turned out to be the charm for Gateway, which loaded the bases again in the fourth.

A bases-loaded walk to Waldrip gave Gateway its first lead and when Tewell followed with a two-out single, the Grizzlies led 5-2.

An error by Gateway third baseman Grant Buckner led to an unearned run in the fifth inning as Frontier cut its deficit to 5-3. They Greys then sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs in the sixth to take the lead.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 10:51 PM with the headline "Grizzlies stumble from second-half gate, fall to Greys 7-5."