FOR RELEASE: JUNE 25, 2009

GRIZZLIES DROP FOURTH STRAIGHT

SAUGET, IL-The Gateway Grizzlies built a 7-2 lead after two innings Thursday night against the River City Rascals, only to surrender nine unanswered runs. River City took game one of the two-game series 11-7 in front of 4,232 at GCS Ballpark.

River City (21-10) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. One run was unearned thanks to a Grizzlies error.

The Grizzlies (11-20) answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Joseph Scaperotta capped the inning with a two-run home run, his 10^th of the season. The home run extended Scaperotta’s hitting streak to 14 games. The Grizzlies extended the lead to 7-2 with a three-run fourth inning. Brandon Johnson drove in a run with a single, before Stephen Holdren capped the inning with a three-run home run, his 10^th of the season. Holdren’s homer chased River City starter Tyler Musselwhite after only 1 1/3 innings.

From there, the River City bullpen took over. Four River City pitchers combined to hold the Grizzlies scoreless over the final 6 2/3 innings. The Grizzlies managed just three hits over that time. Reliever Jake Edwards earned the win for the Rascals. Edwards tossed 3 2/3 innings allowing just a single hit. He walked two and struck out four.

River City scored a single run in the third, then chased Grizzlies’ starter Collin Brennan with a four-run fourth inning. Three of the four runs in the inning were unearned thanks to an error. Brennan lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his second professional appearance. He allowed seven run, three earned, on five hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Nobody had more than a single hit for the Grizzlies. Scaperotta, Holdren and Johnson accounted for all of the Grizzlies RBIs.

The Grizzlies and Rascals will wrap up the short two-game series with a 7:05 game Friday night at GCS Ballpark.

Joe Pott

Broadcaster

Gateway Grizzlies Frontier League Baseball