The Gateway Grizzlies blanked the Empire State Greys 7-0 at Grizzlies Ballpark on Thursday night, with four pitchers combining to toss the club’s first shutout win of 2023 and complete a series sweep.
Former Grizzlie Andres Rodriguez (1-2) ran into trouble immediately in the first inning, as Gateway loaded the bases with two hits and a walk for Peter Zimmermann, who also drew a base-on-balls to make it 1-0. Andrew Penner then brought the second run of the game in on a double-play ground ball, making the score 2-0.
Zac Ryan (1-0) took it from there, as the right-hander retired the first eight batters he faced in the contest, and eventually pitched five one-hit, shutout innings with five strikeouts. Gateway’s offense would then plate three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning against Rodriguez to increase their lead to 5-0 thanks to a balk, a passed ball, and a sacrifice fly by Jairus Richards. Later, in the eighth, D.J. Stewart mashed a two-run home run down the right field line for the final 7-0 score.
Once Ryan departed, Nate Garkow, Zac Treece, and Trevor Tietz combined to hold the Greys scoreless the rest of the way, as Gateway’s staff allowed just four hits in the contest and none for extra bases. The victory for the Grizzlies is their 12th in their last 13 games overall, improving their record to 18-5 on the year.
Gateway will look to keep things rolling when their home stand continues on Friday, June 9, when they host the Tri-City ValleyCats to kick off another three-game series in Sauget, with first pitch at 6:45 p.m. CT.
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.
