The Grizzlies achieved their first postseason spot in five years with a 7-6 win over the Lake Erie Crushers on Wednesday night.
By Bruce Carlson
One of our pleasures, when we lived in North Aurora, was going to the Kane County Cougars ball games. We normally would buy a ticket package of 10 games. Some of the advantages of the ticket package were reduced cost per ticket, great seats, and free preferred parking. We were up to the front row😊. Most of our tickets were in the evenings and most of the time the weather was wonderful.
The level of play wasn’t at the major league level, but it was still fun to watch. Our seats were close to the field and we could see the game play very easily. There was always something going on in between innings. I especially like the one where two contestants came out surrounded by a large clear plastic ball. The two of them would run at each other and see who could knock the other down. It was great to watch them bounce around on the field. Karen enjoyed the between-inning activity where you picked the hat the ball was under. If you watched carefully you could tell which position the hat with the ball would end up at. Though the vast majority of the time it was position two.
Scott mentioned the Grizzlies
It was about a month or so after we moved into New Athens, that Scott said something about the Grizzlies ball team. That was the first we had heard about the ball team. With getting everything unpacked and getting things in place. The Baltic Sea vacation cruise coming at the beginning of August we just didn’t get time to buy some tickets to a game. This last Tuesday night we finally had the chance to catch a ball game. The evening weather was just like a Cougars game. Perfect temperature and a light breeze.
Parking was free, which was a surprise. Our seats were just behind home plate a little to the first base side. We could see the game very well. I was surprised to see a few hundred people at the game. Typically a Cougars game was in the thousands. The game and play were a little less than the Cougar’s level of play. All in all, it was a good evening. It was relaxing just to sit and watch. The season ends in a couple of days so we’ll have to wait for next year. We’ll check on ticket packages.
Below is a news summary of the last couple of days of the season. The Grizzlies were able to win the western division. Read on the learn more.
The Gateway Grizzlies are going to the playoffs. The professional baseball team based in Sauget, Illinois, achieved their first postseason berth since 2012 with a stunning 7-6 victory over the Lake Erie Crushers on Wednesday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
Stunned the Crushers
The Grizzlies trailed 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning but rallied for two runs to stun the Crushers. Clint Freeman delivered the game-winning home run, scoring Jairus Richards.
The win improved the Grizzlies’ record to 57-35, clinching the West division spot in the Frontier League’s West Division. The Frontier League is a partner league of Major League Baseball. It is to be determined who the Grizzlies will start the playoffs with.
The Grizzlies celebrated their playoff berth with their fans, who gave them a standing ovation after the final out. Manager Steve Brook praised his team’s resilience and thanked the supporters for their loyalty.
The Grizzlies have been playing in Sauget since their inaugural season in 2001. They have won one Frontier League championship, in 2003. Their last playoff appearance was in 2012 when they lost to the Florence Freedom in the division series.
Summary
The Gateway Grizzlies are headed to the playoffs after a thrilling comeback win over the Lake Erie Crushers on Wednesday night. The Grizzlies scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure their first postseason berth since 2012.
Here are the main points in detailed bullet form:
- The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team based in Sauget, Illinois, that plays in the Frontier League, a partner league of Major League Baseball.
- The Grizzlies clinched their first playoff spot since 2012 with a 7-6 win over the Lake Erie Crushers on Wednesday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
- The Grizzlies trailed 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning but scored two runs to complete a stunning comeback.
- The Grizzlies improved their record to 57-35, securing the western division championship spot.
- The Grizzlies have been playing in Sauget since 2001. They have won one Frontier League championship, in 2003. Their last playoff appearance was in 2012 when they lost to the Florence Freedom in the division series.
- The Grizzlies celebrated their playoff berth with their fans, who gave them a standing ovation after the final out. Manager Steve Brook praised his team’s resilience and thanked the supporters for their loyalty.
Biggest Takeaway
The Gateway Grizzlies have made history. They have overcome the odds and reached the playoffs for the first time in eleven years. This is a remarkable achievement for a team that plays in a small market and a competitive league. The Grizzlies have shown that they have the talent, heart, and spirit to compete with the best. They have also rewarded their loyal fans with a memorable season and a chance to witness more exciting baseball. The Grizzlies are not done yet. They have a long way to go, but they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The Grizzlies are ready to roar in the playoffs.
We’ll see what happens for the next season. Maybe we’ll purchase some kind of ticket package. It won’t be because of the play high level of play, but just a way to enjoy a day at the ballpark.
We hope you are enjoying these articles and are willing to continue to follow along as we move through the process of selling our house, buying a new house (to become our home), and the adventures of learning about life in southern Illinois, Bruce & Karen.
We’re Bruce and Karen Carlson. We recently moved to the Metro East area of Illinois. This area is east of St. Louis from the Mississippi River north to Alton, east to Carlyle, back south to Waterloo and the Mississippi River, finally north to Columbia. The center is Fairview Heights, Swansea, Belleville, Shiloh, and O'Fallon. Not to be forgotten is Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Edwardsville. It’s a whole new world out there. Our goal with this website is to share our exploration of the Metro East area. As we find businesses and services we use in our daily lives, we’ll share how these businesses and services have helped make our lives better and easier to live.
We’re calling our move to the Metro East area retirement, but we’re not quite sure what that means. By sharing our story with you, we hope you too will gain a better sense of what the Metro East area has to offer and how their businesses and services can improve your lives and build a better community.
