Jackals Steal One In Eleven

Published on July 5, 2003 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Berkshire Black Bears News Release


Nine innings was not sufficient to produce a winner Saturday night, so Wahconah Park was the unknowing recipient of Bonus Baseball. The Black Bears had a 5-3 lead going into the ninth, but closer Matt Bailie, with help from his defense, failed to shut down the Jackals. Bailie held on heroically, after allowing the tying run to score, the 27-year old from Aloha, OR struck out the side and gave the hometown team a chance to win it in their half of the ninth. Midway through the ninth inning, New Jersey manager Joe Calfapietra was ejected for comments made from the dugout. Berkshire loaded the bases but failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, leaving the winning run just 90 feet away from victory. New Jersey added to their ejection total when left-handed reliever Matt Smith was tossed for arguing a balk call during the Berkshire ninth. In the tenth, the Black Bear's Matt Smith, of the right-handed variety, put two Jackals aboard, but left them stranded when he struck out consecutive batters looking. Pete Paciorek singled the lead off the bottom of the tenth, went to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the Pittsfield Nine failed again to finish off the Jackals. Smith came back out for the 11th and didn't have the stuff of the previous inning, loading the bases with no outs before New Jersey knocked two runs across for the lead. The Black Bears went quietly 1-2-3 in their half of the 11th for their 6th straight loss to division leading New Jersey.

Reliever Ben Grezlovski (3-2) got the win for the Jackals, while Matt Smith (1-1) got his first defeat of the year. Doug Dimma (BER) and Jackson Crowther (NJ) each pitched acceptably as both starters got no-decisions. New Jersey remains the only Northeast League club that Berkshire has not defeated this season.

Tomorrow's matinee, 2:05pm first pitch, has Courtney Hall (2-3) vs Joel Bennett (0-0) at Wahconah.

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Canadian American League Stories from July 5, 2003


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