Home BaseballGateway Grizzlies Ridings Sparkles As Grizzlies Out-Pace Lake Erie

Ridings Sparkles As Grizzlies Out-Pace Lake Erie

Gateway right-hander tosses seven strong innings, receives early run support

by Jason Guerette

The Gateway Grizzlies got a fantastic outing fromĀ Steven RidingsĀ (5-2) on the mound, adding to it great defense and early run production as they defeated the Lake Erie Crushers 5-1 on Saturday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.Ā 

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After Ridings tossed a scoreless top of the first inning, the Grizzlies wasted no time to strike first in the bottom half.Ā Andrew Penner, Isaac Benard, andĀ Kevin KrauseĀ led off the bottom of the frame with consecutive doubles, with the last two having RBIs attached, andĀ Zach RacusinĀ followed by driving in another run on an RBI single to give Gateway the early 3-0 lead.Ā 

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Lake Erie would answer back in the top of the second with an RBI single by Casey Combs, but the Grizzlies got the run back in the very next half inning when, with two outs, Benard drove inĀ Abdiel DiazĀ on an RBI single to make it 4-1.Ā 

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For the next five and a half innings, both offenses were silenced as the pitchers got into their groove. For Gateway, Ridings finished his night on the mound by tossing a season-high seven innings while allowing just one run and recording five strikeouts to hold the Crushers at bay. It is the first time that Ridings has pitched seven or more innings in a game since 2019.Ā 

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In the bottom of the eighth inning,Ā Clint FreemanĀ led off with an opposite field solo home run to give the Grizzlies an insurance run and make it 5-1.Ā Anderson DeLeonĀ would end the night on the bump by tossing the final two innings for Gateway, striking out four batters and picking up his first save of the season.Ā 

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Having now won three games in a row and five of their last six overall, the Grizzlies will conclude the 2022 season with the ā€œGreatest Night in Baseballā€ at GCS Credit Union Ballpark and look to sweep the Crushers on Sunday night, September 4, at 6:05 p.m. CT.Ā Carson LaRueĀ will start on the mound for Gateway against the former Grizzlie Matt Mulhearn for Lake Erie.Ā 

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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.

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