The Gateway Grizzlies fell behind quickly on Wednesday night at Duly Health and Care Field, giving up four runs in the second inning with two outs, and managed just five hits offensively in what became an 8-1 blowout loss to the Joliet Slammers.
Manuel Rodriguez (0-2) retired the side in order in the first inning, but ran into trouble in the second, eventually allowing a two-out RBI single to Lane Baremore, which opened the scoring and made it 1-0 Joliet. Rodriguez then issued a walk to load the bases, and they were cleared on a double by Tyler Depreta-Johnson, making the score 4-0. The Slammers would also touch up the lefty with two outs and two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth on a three-run homer by Matt McGarry, making the score 7-0. A leadoff error in the sixth would lead to the Slammers’ final run and make the score 8-0.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies’ offense was silenced again by the Slammers pitching staff, this time by starter Cole Cook (9-6), who went the distance while striking out nine and walking only run. He pitched a shutout through the first eight innings, and retired 15 hitters in a row from the fourth inning until the ninth, when Isaac Benard broke up the blanking with a solo home run, his 19th of the season. But it was too little and too late as the Grizzlies dropped to six games under .500 and 5.5 games back of a playoff spot in the West Division.
The Grizzlies will look to avoid being swept in the series finale on Thursday, August 18, at 6:35 p.m., with Brendan Feldmann on the mound against Joliet right-hander Cam Aufderheide at Duly Health and Care Field.
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.
