Home BaseballGateway Grizzlies Zimmermann Hits Three Homers, Grizzlies Top Y’alls
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Gateway Grizzlies

Zimmermann Hits Three Homers, Grizzlies Top Y’alls

Gateway first baseman makes history, ties league record in club’s fifth straight win

by Jason Guerette
written by Jason Guerette Donate To Author
The Gateway Grizzlies had yet another historic performance on Tuesday night against the Florence Y’alls, this time on the hitting side, as Peter Zimmermann tied a Frontier League record by hitting three home runs, accounting for all five home team runs in a 5-2 game at Grizzlies Ballpark that gave Gateway their fifth straight win and lowered their magic number to clinch a playoff spot down to 3.
Zimmermann started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, taking a fastball from Florence starter Jonaiker Villalobos (4-8) deep over the center field fence for a solo home run and a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Zimmermann came up with Victor Castillo on second base following a bunt single and an error, and again swung at the first pitch, blasting his second homer of the night over the left-center field wall to increase the Grizzlies’ advantage to 3-0.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Collin Sullivan (8-5) turned in one of his best starts of the year, as after he allowed a leadoff walk to Ed Johnson to kick off the ballgame, the right-hander bore down and retired the next 16 Florence batters he faced, then five more in a row after a one-out walk in the sixth inning, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth while tying his season-high in innings pitched.
Unfortunately, the no-hitter and shutout both came to an end with on swing from Zade Richardson, whose solo homer leading off the top of the eighth made the score 3-1. Stephen Hrustich then hit another solo shot over the short porch in right field to draw the Y’alls within one, and end Sullivan’s night.
Matt Hickey came in, though, and struck out the next three batters, and in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, Castillo singled and stole second base, putting him in the same position as Zimmermann’s previous homer. The third-year Grizzlie would then do it again off reliever Carter Poiry, smacking a two-run homer out to right-center field to become the first Gateway batter to hit three homers in a game since Frontier League Hall-of-Famer Landon Hernandez on July 30, 2014- coincidentally, at Florence.
Armed with a 5-2 lead, Leoni De La Cruz would emphatically bounce back from a rocky outing on Sunday at Windy City, striking out all three Y’alls batters he faced in the ninth for his 12th save of the season as the Grizzlies crept closer to the postseason.
Gateway will now look to tie their longest win streak of the season of six games on Wednesday, August 21, in the middle game of their three-game series against the Y’alls. Lukas Veinbergs will pitch for the Grizzlies against Florence’s Ty Good, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Grizzlies Ballpark.

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Jason Guerette
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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.

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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