SL1 Jackson Generals

Clutch Hits Lead Generals to Eighth-Straight Win

June 2, 2016 - Southern League (SL1)
Jackson Generals News Release


Sevierville, Tenn. - Jackson clubbed 13 hits including a season-high six doubles en route to an 8-4 win over Tennessee at Smokies Stadium Thursday night. The win was Jackson's eighth in a row, its longest streak since 2010. The Generals clinched their eighth series victory of the season and lowered their magic number to nine with the win.

After a short delay due to rain pregame, Jackson (35-18) looked overmatched early on. The top three Generals all struck out in the first before the Tennessee (23-30) exploded in the bottom of the inning. Tennessee scored three in the first on four hits against Jordan Pries to go up 3-0.

The Generals stranded runners in scoring position in the third and fourth innings before finally breaking through in the fifth. Brock Hebert drew a one out-walk, Ian Miller singled, and Benji Gonzalez walked to load the bases. Hebert scored Jackson's first run on a Guillermo Heredia sacrifice fly before Miller came home on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. After Tyler O'Neill walked, Leon Landry drove in a pair with a single to give Jackson a 4-3 lead.

Jordan Pries worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth to keep Jackson on top after five. The righty struggled in the opening inning, but settled down. Pries gave up three runs on eight hits while walking three. He also struck out a season-high seven in the no-decision.

Tennessee tied the game in the sixth against Ryan Horstman (1-1, 7.71), who gave up a single and two walks to load the bases. Mark Zagunis drove in a run with a single to knot the contest up at four before Horstman induced an inning-ending double play. The Smokies have hit into a league-worst 64 double plays this season.

Jackson took the lead right back in the seventh against David Berg (1-1, 5.59). Gonzalez led off with his second double of the night and scored two batters later on a Tyler O'Neill single. The RBI was O'Neill's 41st of the season and the single was his 64th hit, both the most in the Southern League. After O'Neill advanced to second on an error, D.J. Peterson brought him home in on a single up the middle to give Jackson a 6-4 lead.

Peterson's single in the seventh extended his season-high hit streak to 13 games. Over the streak, Peterson is hitting .333 (17-for-51) with four homers and nine runs batted in. Peterson's hit streak dates back to May 20th and is the second longest on the Generals' this season, one behind O'Neill's 14-game streak from April 23 to May 10.

Jackson added to its lead in the eighth with two runs on a walk, single, and double. Both runs came in on Gonzalez's third double of the night, putting the Generals on top 8-4. The shortstop becomes the first General to hit three doubles in a game this year and the first with three extra-base hits in a game. The team as a whole had a season-high six doubles in the contest.

After Dan Altavilla pitched a scoreless seventh, Edwin Diaz blew away the Smokies in the eighth. He struck out the final two men he faced in the eighth, hitting 99 on the radar gun twice in the frame. The lanky right-hander finished off the game with a scoreless ninth, giving him 11.2 innings without allowing an earned run since moving to the bullpen.

With the victory, Jackson maintains a nine-game lead in the North Division over the Montgomery Biscuits (26-27) who won both games of a doubleheader against the Jacksonville Suns Thursday. The team lowered its magic number to nine with its win over Tennessee.

Jackson looks to make it a season-high nine wins in a row on Friday against Tennessee. The Generals have not announced a starter for Friday's matchup while the Smokies will send RHP Tyler Skulina (2-2, 3.83) to the hill.. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm CT/7:05 pm ET, and you can listen to all the action on the TJ Network (AM 1390, FM 94.1) and online via the TuneIn Radio App starting at 5:50 pm CT/6:50 pm ET with the Generals Pregame Show.

The team returns home for five games against Pensacola on Sunday, June 5! The opener is a Family FunDay Sunday, with children 12 and under getting free admission, ice cream, fun zone access and the chance to play catch on the field pregame! The series concludes with another State Farm Agent Wes Harris Dollar Night! General Admission tickets, hot dogs, popcorn, Pepsi products and select beer are just $1 all night long, and fans can upgrade to reserved seats for $5!

Get in on the fun at The Ballpark now! Give the Generals a call at (731) 988.5299, go online to jacksongeneralsbaseball.com or stop by The Ballpark to get your tickets now!

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Southern League Stories from June 2, 2016


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