FOR RELEASE: JUNE 14, 2009

‘HAWKS SWEEP GRIZZLIES

LOVES PARK, IL-The Rockford RiverHawks completed a three-game sweep of the Gateway Grizzlies with an 8-6 win Sunday at Road Ranger Stadium.

Five Grizzlies (7-14) pitchers combined to walk a franchise-record 13 Rockford hitters Sunday.

Rockford (9-13) went up 1-0 with a first inning run, but the Grizzlies answered. Charlie Lisk led off the second inning with an infield hit, before Joseph Scaperotta doubled. Chad Rothford grounded out to drive in Lisk and even the score 1-1. The Grizzlies then committed a pair of second-inning errors which led to four unearned runs for the RiverHawks and Rockford was up 5-1 after two innings. The Grizzlies added single runs in the second and third to cut the lead to 5-3. Stephen Holdren doubled to drive in a run in the third, before Rothford doubled, driving in his second of the game in the fourth.

Rockford led 8-3 when the Grizzlies used three hits to score three times in the top of the eighth inning. Brad Thoma doubled to start the inning and Holdren was hit by a pitch. Lisk doubled to drive in Thoma. Scaperotta hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Holdren and Rothford singled to drive in his third run of the game, and make it 8-6. That is as close as the Grizzlies would get. They stranded fie runners on the day, including four in scoring position.

Rothford finished the day 2-4 with the three RBIs. Lisk was 2-4 with an RBI. He leads the Frontier League with 25. Holdren was 1-3.

Craft suffered the loss for the Grizzlies. He lasted only two innings allowing five runs, one earned, on four hits. He walked three and did not strike out a batter.

The Grizzlies return home to begin a three-game series against Southern Illinois at GCS Ballpark. First pitch against the Miners is set for 7:05 pm Monday night.

Joe Pott

Broadcaster

Gateway Grizzlies Frontier League Baseball