Mud Monsters Blanked by Grizzlies in Series Opener
SAUGET, Ill. (June 5, 2026) - The Mississippi Mud Monsters (10-15) were held to three hits by Ben Harris Friday night as the Gateway Grizzlies (13-12) claimed a 3-0 victory in the opener of a three-game series.
Monster Notes
Mississippi got strong work on the mound, but could not break through offensively.
- Art Joven worked six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while walking none and striking out five.
- Eric Elliott made his professional debut with a perfect seventh inning and back-to-back strikeouts.
- Dusty Baird followed with a scoreless eighth and struck out two.
- Jackson Nicklaus collected two of Mississippi’s three hits.
Pitchers Settle In
Both starters opened the night in control.
Both starters got off to strong starts as southpaw Art Joven took the ball for Mississippi looking for his fourth win of the season.
Joven last faced the Grizzlies in the finale of the season-opening series at Trustmark Park, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out three and walking three.
The Bakersfield, California native continued his strong 2026 campaign, holding Gateway scoreless through four innings before the Grizzlies broke through in the fifth and sixth.
Gateway Breaks Through
The Grizzlies scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth.
Grizzlies take the lead
In the fifth, a leadoff double by Cole Brannen was followed by a one-out RBI single from José Alvarez to make it 1-0.
Gateway picked up its other two runs in the sixth when Dale Thomas opened the inning with a double before Davie Morgan launched a two-out, two-run home run to make it 3-0.
Joven finished his outing with six innings of work, allowing three runs on eight hits while walking none and striking out five.
Despite the quality start, Mississippi managed just two hits of offensive support through Joven’s six innings on the mound.
Debut Moment
Eric Elliott made his first professional appearance.
The Mud Monsters turned to the newest member of the pitching staff in the seventh as Eric Elliott made his professional debut.
The left-hander could not have asked for a better first inning, striking out the first two batters he faced before inducing a groundout to second base to complete a perfect 1-2-3 frame.
Dusty Baird followed Elliott in the eighth and also retired the Grizzlies in order while striking out two.
Ninth-Inning Threat
Mississippi loaded the bases before Gateway closed it out.
Mud Monsters bring the tying run to the plate
The Mud Monsters threatened in the top of the ninth and forced Gateway manager Kyle Gaedele to go to his bullpen.
Harris retired the first batter of the inning before Jackson Nicklaus collected his second hit of the game. Brayland Skinner then reached on an error and Kasten Furr walked to load the bases.
Matt Hickey entered and picked up the save, striking out Kyle Booker before getting Travis Holt to fly out to center field to complete the 3-0 shutout victory.
Full Box Score
Gateway 3, Mississippi 0 - June 5, 2026 at Arsenal BG Ballpark
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | LOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Gateway | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 8 | 2 | 5 |
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skinner, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Furr, LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Booker, RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Holt, DH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Schield, SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Semo, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bocchino, 1B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fritz, 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nicklaus, 2B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castillo, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alvarez, C | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Shallenberger, 1B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Thomas, DH | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Horne, 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Smith, SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Morgan, 2B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sanford, LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Brannen, CF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 31 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joven L | 6.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Elliott | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Baird | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Totals | 8.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris W | 8.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Hickey SV | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
Game Notes
2B: Gateway - Cole Brannen, Dale Thomas.
HR: Gateway - Davie Morgan.
RBI: Gateway - José Alvarez, Davie Morgan 2.
Fielding: Mississippi turned one double play. Gateway turned two double plays. Errors: Gateway - Davie Morgan, Ben Harris.
Base Running: Kasten Furr was caught stealing for Mississippi.
Pitching: Joven 85 pitches, 59 strikes. Elliott 10 pitches, 7 strikes. Baird 12 pitches, 8 strikes. Harris 108 pitches, 70 strikes. Hickey 4 pitches, 4 strikes.
Game Information: Arsenal BG Ballpark. First pitch: 6:33 p.m. Final out: 8:45 p.m. Time of game: 2:12. Attendance: 1,922. Weather: 86 degrees, wind 13 mph southwest.
Up Next
The Mud Monsters continue their series against the Grizzlies on Saturday evening at Arsenal BG Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
As of writing, Mississippi has not announced a starter, but the Mud Monsters will face Gateway right-hander Ty Good (1-0, 2.45).
About the Mississippi Mud Monsters
Baseball Lives Here. It Just Got a Little Weirder.
The Mississippi Mud Monsters are a professional baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, competing in the Frontier League. Built in the mud and rooted in Mississippi, the Mud Monsters believe baseball should be unapologetically fun, a little weird, wildly welcoming, and deeply tied to the place it calls home. Real baseball. Real people. This is swamp-built, Mississippi-made baseball, where the vibes matter just as much as the final score.