The Gateway Grizzlies scored six runs combined in their first three turns at bat on Tuesday night at Grizzlies Ballpark, coming back from an early 3-0 deficit and beating the Windy City ThunderBolts 7-4 to break up a six-game losing streak.
Things started rocky for Zac Ryan (3-2) in the top of the first, as the Grizzlies starter allowed three hits and two walks, including a three-run home run by Micah Yonamine that put the ThunderBolts up 3-0, but the right-hander locked down from there, eventually pitching a career-high seven innings while also tying his career-best with six strikeouts in earning his third win of the year on the mound.
The Grizzlies responded to the three-run hole in the bottom of the first inning when they scored three runs themselves on an RBI single by Eric Rivera and a two-run, two-out, game-tying homer by Andrew Penner. In the second inning, Abdiel Diaz hit an RBI double off the left field wall to score a hustling Willie Estrada all the way from first base to put the home team up for good at 4-3, and Gateway expanded the advantage to 6-3 in the bottom of the third inning thanks to an RBI single from Penner and a sacrifice fly by Kyle Gaedele, playing in his first pro contest since 2018.
Ryan took care of the rest, and the Grizzlies’ bullpen backed him up after an insurance RBI single by Jairus Richards made it 7-3 in the sixth inning. Matt Valin and Alec Whaley set up Josh Lucas in the ninth, with the latter recording his second save of the season as Gateway maintained their one-game lead atop the Frontier League’s West Division in taking the series opener.
The Grizzlies will go for back-to-back victories at home and a series win over Windy City in the middle game of the three-game series on Wednesday, July 26, at 6:45 p.m. CT, sending Lukas Veinbergs to the hill to duel against reigning league Pitcher of the Week Logan Schmitt at Grizzlies Ballpark.
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.
