FOR RELEASE: JULY 4, 2009

SAUGET, IL-The Gateway Grizzlies dropped the second of a three-game series to the Windy City ThunderBolts Saturday night 10-6 in front of 5,249 at GCS Ballpark.

Grizzlies starter Mark Brackman lasted just three innings. He allowed seven runs on nine Windy City hits. He struck out three. Brackman dropped to 2-5 with the loss.

The Grizzlies (14-26) roughed up Windy City starter Tyler Kelsey for four runs in the first two innings before he settled in to pitch five innings, and earn the win. Charlie Lisk and Joseph Scaperotta each singled in the first inning to drive in runs. The first inning hit by Scaperotta extended his franchise-record hit streak to 23 games. He finished 1-3. Lisk was1-5.

Brandon Johnson drove in another run in the second inning, with a ground out to first. Johnson reached on an error, and another run scored.

Windy City (23-18) led 7-4 when Brad Thoma hit his second home run of the year, a two run shot, to pull the Grizzlies within a run. That is as close as Gateway would get. Jareck West scored after leading off the inning with an infield single. Thoma finished 2-4 with a double, the home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. West was 2-3 .

The ThunderBolts added a single run in the seventh to make it 8-6. They added a pair of runs in the ninth to stretch the score to 10-6.

The Grizzlies and ThunderBolts will conclude the three-game series with a 6:05 game Sunday evening at GCS Ballpark.

Joe Pott

Broadcaster

Gateway Grizzlies Frontier League Baseball