Grizzlies Top 66ers 1-0 in Magnificent Pitchers’ Duel

San Bernardino, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino and Fresno Grizzlies met for the first time ever and turned in a memorable pitchers’ duel at San Manuel Stadium on Tuesday. The Grizzlies (12-7) and Sixers were scoreless until two outs in the top of the ninth inning when Fresno strung together a single and a double to knock in the night’s solitary run.

Neither starter figured in the decision, but they carved their way through each other’s lineups. Brent Killam tossed six shutout frames for Inland Empire (8-10) allowing just two hits and a walk while fanning seven batters. Fresno starter Sam Weatherly went 5.1 innings and gave up three hits, four walks and struck out ten. Weatherly walked two men with one out in the sixth and was relieved by Anderson Bido who picked off the Sixers’ lead runner at second base. The next batter at the time, Braxton Martinez then doubled, but it did not score a run. Bido got out of the jam and Martinez, who had two doubles, was the last Inland Empire baserunner of the contest. Emilker Guzman (0-1) held the Grizzlies in check from the seventh on until, with two down in the ninth, Ezequiel Tovar singled and then scored all the way from first on what proved to be Mateo Gil’s game-winning RBI double. Tanner Propst struck out the side in a perfect eighth to earn the win while Juan Mejia’s clean ninth notched his fifth save of the year. Jose Reyes had a double for the Sixers. D’Shawn Knowles, activated from the Injured List on Tuesday, had a hit and a steal in his 66ers’ debut. The Sixers were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position while Fresno was 0-for-1. The contest marked the first time in 2021 that Inland Empire has been shutout. It was the Fresno staff’s second blanking of an opponent this season.

The 66ers take on the Grizzlies on Wednesday at 7:05 pm. The contest can be seen and heard live on 66ers.com.