Stockton Grizzlies - Wolverhampton Wolves
Second to Last Away Game for The Grizzlies
Stockton Grizzlies- 11 Wolverhampton Wolves - 12
Match report brought to you by Rugby Taekwondo Academy.
On Sunday 22nd of June the Grizzlies travelled to Wolverhampton Wolves for the seventh game in the West Midlands Baseball League.
The Grizzlies came out strong in the top of the first inning, kickstarting their offense with Ryan Mushinski reaching base on a dropped third strike. Ed Bird followed up with a clean single, setting the stage for a productive inning. With sharp base running from both Bird and Mushinski, Humphrey Wilshire drove in the Grizzlies’ first run with an RBI single.
Momentum continued as Ed Bird stole home in a daring play, securing the second run of the inning. Fin Jackson then stepped up and contributed an RBI single of his own. Jackson advanced to third on a fielding error by the Wolves and later capitalized on a passed ball, crossing home plate to bring the Grizzlies’ total to four runs.
As the inning ended, rain halted play with a delay called due to the weather. After the skies cleared, play resumed with Travis Ashford, one of the Grizzlies’ Texas imports, taking the mound for his UK debut.
The Wolves responded well at bat, benefiting from the Grizzlies' struggle to regain momentum after the delay. They managed to plate two runs early in the bottom half of the inning. Just as the Grizzlies began to settle into a rhythm, another downpour triggered a second rain delay.
Fortunately, the weather improved, with blue skies returning and hope for a smoother continuation of the game. Play resumed with a Wolves runner on third, and despite the Grizzlies’ best efforts, the Wolves managed to tie in another run—exploiting the spacious backstop to their advantage.
At the close of the first inning, the Grizzlies held a narrow lead with a score of 4–3 over the Wolves.
The Grizzlies continued to demonstrate discipline and focus at the plate in the top of the second inning. Luke Johnson led off with a walk, showing patience and composure. However, he was later forced out on a fielder’s choice when Yasu stepped in. Fortunately, Yasu reached first safely and quickly put pressure on the Wolves’ defense.
Using smart base running and capitalizing on a passed ball to the backstop, Yasu made his way all the way around to score, adding another run to the Grizzlies’ tally.
Ed Bird then reached base and advanced to second on a fielding error by the Wolves, putting another runner in scoring position. However, the top half of the inning ended before the Grizzlies could bring him home.
On the defensive side, the Grizzlies were led by their reliable resident pitcher, Lu Choy. Choy delivered a strong performance, conceding just one hit in the inning. The defensive highlight came from third baseman Albie Waterton, who made a stellar catch on a sharp line drive to secure the first out.
Center fielder Ryan Mushinski closed out the inning with two impressive catches, showcasing his range and calmness under pressure. The Grizzlies' defense held firm, allowing no runs.
At the end of the second inning, the Grizzlies maintained a two-run lead. Score: Grizzlies 5 – Wolves 3
The Grizzlies continued to chip away at the Wolves' defense in the top of the third inning, capitalizing on several fielding errors. Fin Jackson, Albie Waterton, and Lu Choy all showed patience at the plate, reaching base and setting the stage for more scoring opportunities.
Jackson made his way around the bases but was caught in a close play at home and was ultimately called out. However, Waterton successfully crossed the plate, adding another run to the Grizzlies' total. Choy was left stranded on base as the inning came to an end, but the Grizzlies had pushed their lead to 6–5.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Wolves came out fighting, eager to regain the lead. They quickly got their first runner on base and managed to bring him home, capitalizing on an error in the Grizzlies’ fielding.
Despite the setback, Lu Choy responded with a clutch strikeout, sending a batter down looking for the second out of the inning. The Wolves continued to press, adding another run to the board. However, the inning ended in dramatic fashion with a perfect tag-out play at home. Center fielder Yasu Ohno fired a strong throw to shortstop Yasu Ohno, who relayed it to catcher Luke Johnson, who applied the tag to cut down the runner attempting to score.
At the close of the third inning, the Grizzlies held on to a slim one-run lead. Score: Grizzlies 6 – Wolves 5
Inning 4 proved to be a tough one for both teams, as neither side was able to add any runs to the scoreboard. Strong defense was on full display, with both teams preventing each other from gaining any offensive momentum. Despite some errors at the plate, the solid defensive plays ensured that no runs were scored, keeping the game deadlocked heading into the next inning.
The Grizzlies’ bats went cold in the top of the fifth inning. Despite Travis Ashford earning a walk to first base, the Grizzlies were unable to generate any further offense, leaving the top of the inning without adding to their score.
The Wolves, however, found their rhythm in the bottom half. Taking advantage of passed balls and walks to reach base, they capitalized on these opportunities and rallied to add 3 runs to the scoreboard. The Wolves batted through the order before the Grizzlies were able to regain control. Force outs and a fly ball caught in the outfield finally ended the inning.
By the end of the fifth, the score stood at Grizzlies 6, Wolves 8. In just one inning, the Wolves had taken the lead. The question remained: Could the Grizzlies mount a comeback and regain control of the game? Would they be able to put together the rally they needed?
The Grizzlies struggled at the plate in the top of the sixth, going down in order as the Wolves’ defense secured a quick 1-2-3 inning.
The Wolves, still looking to extend their lead, started the bottom of the inning strong with their leadoff hitter driving a ground-rule double off pitcher Lu Choy. It didn’t take long before they brought that runner home, adding another run to their total.
Despite the pressure, the Grizzlies’ defense held firm for the rest of the inning. The final out was secured by Albie Waterton on a well-timed fly ball catch, limiting the Wolves to just one run.
At the end of six innings, the score stands at Grizzlies 6, Wolves 9. The Wolves now hold a three-run advantage heading into the seventh.
The Grizzlies continued to struggle at the plate in the top of the seventh. Ryan Mushinski showed good patience, earning a walk, but he was the only Grizzly to reach base during the inning. Humphrey Willshire had a close play at first that left fans frustrated — while it looked like he had beaten the throw, the umpire ruled that the first baseman had dropped the ball during the transfer. Despite this questionable call, the inning quickly came to an end with no runs crossing the plate.
The Grizzlies then took to the field with a new arm on the mound as Albie Waterton came in to pitch. The change proved effective, as Waterton and the defense delivered textbook plays. The Wolves managed only one baserunner on a hit-by-pitch and were held scoreless.
At the end of the seventh, the score remained unchanged: Grizzlies 6, Wolves 9.
The struggles at the plate continued for the Grizzlies as they were once again kept off the bases by an impenetrable Wolves defense. Another scoreless inning left the Grizzlies still searching for a way to spark their offense, with the Wolves now holding them without a run for five straight innings.
Heading into the bottom of the eighth, the Grizzlies switched things up on the mound, bringing in utility player Yasu Ohno to pitch. The question was whether they could keep the Wolves from extending their lead.
Unfortunately, the Wolves capitalized on the pitching change. The first three batters each earned a walk, and then Wolves took full advantage of their expansive backstop—which might as well have been in a different postcode—to advance runners and score more runs.
Yasu eventually settled in and found his rhythm. Once the first out was recorded, the remaining outs followed quickly, preventing any further damage. However, by the end of the inning, the Wolves had pushed the score to 12-6.
As the Grizzlies headed into the ninth inning trailing by six runs, it seemed like the game might be out of reach. But with the umpire signaling the ninth as the last inning, the Grizzlies knew they had to rally to keep their hopes alive and possibly force extra innings.
With the top of the order up, the team was determined to fight back. Yasu Ohno set the tone immediately with a sharp single on the first pitch he saw — exactly the spark the Grizzlies needed. Ryan Mushinski followed suit with another single, igniting the dugout as hats were flipped upside-down in anticipation of a comeback.
Although Octavio Leon was retired as the first out, momentum stayed strong. Humphrey Willshire came through with an RBI single, then Travis Ashford kept the rally going with a two-RBI single to put three quick runs on the board. Suddenly, the Grizzlies were back in the game — just three runs from tying.
Fin Jackson then reached base after being hit by a pitch, moving Travis to second. Albie Waterton delivered again with an RBI single to score Travis and draw even closer. However, Waterton was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Tom Bowen, leaving the Grizzlies with two outs and the tying run on first.
With the game on the line, Luke Johnson stepped up to the plate. Could he do it and drive Bowen home to complete the comeback? Unfortunately, this time the magic ran out — Johnson grounded out for the final out of the game.
Despite an incredible last-inning rally, the Grizzlies came up just short. The final score: Grizzlies 11, Wolves 12.
What an incredible game of baseball! Despite the heavens opening up in the early innings and causing a brief delay, the match turned into a thrilling, closely contested contest right down to the final at-bat.
A big thank you to the Wolves for hosting us — we look forward to welcoming them to “The Den” for the return fixture later this season. Thank you also to everyone who came out to support the Grizzlies; your encouragement means the world to the team!
Next up, the Grizzlies will be back on home turf for Game 8 in the WMBL, as we host the Worcester Sorcerer. We hope to see you all there, cheering us on as we look to get back to winning ways!
