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Can-Am Brockton Rox

Jackals walk off twice in extras, sweep series opening doubleheader

August 27, 2011 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Brockton Rox News Release


(Little Falls, N.J.) -

The New Jersey Jackals (52-33, 26-13) completed two dramatic comebacks to take both games of Friday night's twin bill from the Brockton Rox (47-38, 21-18), 5-4 and 3-2 on walk off hits from Kris Sanchez and Sandy Madera.

The Rox struck first in both affairs, scoring immediately in game one on Phillip Cuadrado's RBI double that scored Keith Brachold in the top of the first.

Jackals starter Isaac Pavlik settled in over the next five frames, allowing only one run on six hits in six innings, while his teammates put

New Jersey

on the board against Dustin Birosak with a three run rally in the fourth.

Five straight Jackals reached against Birosak (6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K), with Nick Giarraputo providing a two-run double and coming around to score on an error by first baseman Jeremy Hunt.

Leading 3-1 heading into the seventh frame,

New Jersey

called upon closer Jeff Gogal to slam the door.

With one out, Dominic Ramos stepped to the plate with two on and crushed a three-run homer to left field, that gave the Rox the 4-3 lead.

The blown save for Gogal was his first of the season in 15 attempts.

Jake Hale

(0-3) entered in the bottom of seventh to try and close the game for

Brockton, but also could not get the job done.

Hale walked Bryan Sabatella to open the inning and he came around on a

Madera

sacrifice fly that tied the game at four.

In the bottom of the eighth, Sanchez connected for a two-out pinch hit single that scored Jordan Newton and clinched game one for

New Jersey

The blown save for Hale was his second in his last two attempts.

Kyle Gunderson

(1-0) picked up his first win, tossing a scoreless top of the eighth.

Game two proved to be even more painful for

Brockton, as the two teams dueled tied at one into extra innings once again.

Both clubs got solid work from their starters as Zach Woods and Shaun Ellis matched each other in a stalemate.

In his first start Woods shined, allowing only a solo home run to Sanchez in the fourth inning.

The

Virginia

native lasted a season high six innings, while striking out a season high seven.

Brockton

stranded the bases loaded against Ellis (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) in the second, but would not be denied in the third.

Keith Brachold cashed in a Chris Valencia leadoff double on a sacrifice fly that put the Rox on top early for the fourth straight game.

The Rox bats kept quiet as things held even into the top of the eighth, when Jared Locke (5-1) returned for a third frame of work and Cuadrado blasted his first home run, giving the Rox a 2-1 lead

Mark Rosen

tossed a scoreless seventh, before Jimmer Kennedy (2-3) got his shot to be the stopper in the bottom of the eighth.

Kennedy walked Sean Smith to open the inning, before retiring the next two batters.

That brought

Madera

to the plate with one on and two out.

With two strikes in the count,

Madera

lifted a walk off homer to dead centerfield for a 3-2 Jackals victory and sweep of the doubleheader to open the series.

The Rox have lost four straight games and in each of the four they have had at least one lead.

The series continues Saturday at

10 a.m.

as Mike Moore toes the rubber for

New Jersey

The Rox have yet to announce a starter for the game three matinee, which was moved up to try and avoid the oncoming landfall of Hurricane Irene in the northeast.

Check out the Brockton Rox Statistics



Canadian American League Stories from August 27, 2011


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