KALAMAZOO, MI- Derek Blacksher struck out a franchise-record 14 hitters Friday night as the Gateway Grizzlies defeated the Kalamazoo Kings 6-4 in front of 2,821 at Homer Stryker Field.
Blacksher (9-5) allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits over eight innings Friday. He struck out the last seven hitters he faced. He leads the team and is second in the Frontier League with nine wins.
The Grizzlies trailed early Friday. Joe Ramos hit a solo home run in the first inning to put the Kings (46-27) up 1-0. The Grizzlies (39-34) answered in the second to make it 1-1.
Kalamazoo went up 3-1 with a pair of runs on a hit in the bottom of the second.
The Grizzlies scored four runs in the third to take the lead for good. Mike Breyman doubled with two outs to make it 3-2 Kings. Joseph Scaperotta hit a three-run homer later in the inning to put the Grizzlies up 5-3.
Breyman was 2-4. Scaperotta was 2-3 with the home run and three RBIs.
The Kings added a run in the third to make it 5-4, but that is close as the Kings would get.
Carter McQuigg homered in the fifth to make it 6-4.