Pete Buck and Dave Klahs combined on a three-hit shutout as the
Grizzlies beat the Wild Things 5-0 Thursday night to win their first
round playoff series two games to none.

Buck went seven innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven.
He only had one jam, in the third. With the Grizzlies holding a 1-0
lead, two walks and a single loaded the bases with two out but Buck
got cleanup hitter Jake Bollig to ground out to Phil Warren at first
to end the inning.

Klahs pitched a hitless eight and ninth while striking out five to
earn the save.

The Grizzlies took a 1-0 lead in the second on consecutive two-out
singles by Brad Bauder, Trevor Brown and Oscar Vargas. In the fourth,
Phil Warren hit a ball off the center-field wall that rolled toward
right field as two Washington outfielders gave chase. Warren ended up
on third, but many of the fans wanted the coach to wave him in for an
inside-the-park homer run. The coach made the right call, as the
shortstop had the ball in his possession by the time Warren made it
to third. Ben Piatt then singled to give Gateway a 2-0 lead. The big
blow came in the eighth, as Piatt greeted reliever Blake Leonards
with a three-run homer to put the game out of reach.

The crowd was announced at 3170.

The Grizzlies will have home field advantage in the finals if
Evansville wins, but Chillicotthe will have it if they win. The
finals will begin on Sunday if Evansville wins the series on Friday.
If the Evansville-Chillicothe series goes three games, the finals
will begin on Monday. The team with home field advantage hosts games
1-2-5.