Wild Things blanked at Gateway
SAUGET, Ill. — Washington had two more hits than Gateway, but the Grizzlies had four pitchers combine for a 1-0 shutout Tuesday evening in the first of a three-game series.
Wild Things starting pitcher Zach Kirby took the hard-luck loss in falling to 3-2 this season. Kirby allowed one run on four hits over seven innings. He had five strikeouts and walked one.
Newly-acquired Ryan Munoz pitched a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout.
Gateway (17-10) scored the only run it would need in the third inning when Cole Brannen reached on a bunt single and scored on Abdiel Diaz’s double.
The Wild Things (18-9) had the bases loaded twice. Washington left eight on base.
The Grizzlies have won the three games against the Wild Things this year, and all have been shutouts. Washington hasn’t scored against Gateway pitching in 25.2 innings.
The Grizzlies’ Kaleb Hill allowed five hits with two strikeouts and two walks over six innings to earn his first win this season. Nate Garkow and Alec Whaley held the lead and Lukas Veinbergs allowed a hit and walked two, but was able to record a strikeout and earn his sixth save this year.
The Wild Things’ Tommy Caufield had two hits. Ethan Wilder, Wagner Lagrange, Carson Clowers and Andrew Czech had the other hits for the visitors.
Czech doubled in the ninth and extended his franchise-record on-base streak to 59 games when he walked in the first, which is 10 shy of the Frontier League record.