The Gateway Grizzlies used six home runs, including two each by Trevor Achenbach and Peter Zimmermann, and 19 total hits to notch a 17-9 victory over the Empire State Greys on Saturday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. With the win, the Grizzlies take the opening series with a chance to sweep Sunday afternoon.
The Grizzlies offense picked up where it left off last night. In the bottom of the first inning off Greys starter Ernesto Huizar (0-1), Jay Prather dropped a two-run double into left field to give Gateway a 2-0 lead. In the second inning, Gateway then sent 13 men to the plate, put up seven hits, including a home run by Clint Freeman, and scored eight runs in the frame to take a 10-0 lead
The Greys then responded by scoring their first three runs of the season thanks to a Jordan Scott RBI double and a two-RBI double from Kolton Kendrick to make it 12-3 in the third inning. After the Grizzlies answered with a pair of solo home runs by Achenbach and Zimmermann in the bottom of the frame, the Greys kept up the offensive pressure by scoring five runs in the fourth inning to cut the Gateway lead to 12-8.
But the Grizzlies could not be stopped at the plate- Zimmermann launched his second solo home run of the game to make it 13-8 in the fifth inning, followed by a Freeman sacrifice fly to make it 14-8. One inning later, Issac Benard added another run with an RBI infield single to make it 15-8.
Gateway capped off the explosive offense with solo home runs by Abdiel Diaz and Achenbach in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 17-8 lead. Scott hit a solo home run for the Greys in the ninth, but it was not enough as the Grizzlies clinched the series by winning the first two games.
Achenbach went 3-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored, and Zimmermann finished a triple shy of the cycle while also scoring and driving in three runs. Six different Gateway batters drove in a run, while all nine starters scored at least one run. On the mound, Reed Hayes (1-0) earned the win with three scoreless innings and tied a career-high with six strikeouts.
The Grizzlies will go for the series sweep on Sunday, May 15 in the series finale against the Greys, with first pitch at 1:05 p.m. Freeman makes his first start of the season on the mound for Gateway against Thomas Derer for Empire State.
Jason Guerette is the Grizzlies' Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations and the "Voice of the Grizzlies." 2023 will be his second season with the organization, handling lead broadcasting duties on the Grizzlies Media Network as well as being in charge of all team press releases and game-day media materials.
2023 will also be Jason's ninth season in the Frontier League after spending 2014-21 in the same role with the Southern Illinois Miners. Overall, he has broadcasted close to 800 games in the league, including playoffs. During the baseball offseason, he serves as a play-by-play broadcaster for Manhattan College and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, with games being seen on ESPN+ among other platforms.
In addition to broadcasting, Jason works as a public address announcer for Seton Hall University women's basketball as well as Columbia University men's and women's basketball. He also spent nine years working "behind the scenes" as a freelance board operator and highlight editor at Westwood One for their coverage of the NFL, NCAA football, and NCAA basketball.
Jason graduated from Seton Hall in 2012 with B.A. in Communication Studies and a minor in Broadcasting & Visual Media.
