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Can-Am New Jersey Jackals

Jackals win thanks to Hawks error

August 8, 2006 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
New Jersey Jackals News Release


Little Falls, NJ The New Jersey Jackals continued their season-long domination of their cross-town rivals, the Sussex Skyhawks, though tonight's game was a bit of a nail-biter, coming down to the wire as the Jackals held on by a final score of 4-3.

For the 4th consecutive game, the Jackals managed to push a run across in the 1st inning. Tonight, the scoring was started off by SS Guillermo Reyes, who was brought in on a sacrifice fly to right by RF Alex Fernandez to give the Jackals a 1-0 lead.

The Skyhawks answered right back, though, when 1B Mayke Cabrera ripped a liner just past the reach of a sprawled-out 3B Wilton Veras in the top half of the 2nd, allowing 3B Elvis Corporan to come in to score. Sussex continued to pile up the baserunners, loading the bags with none out. However, Jackals LHP Raul Valdes (5-2) was able to work his way out of the jam with minimal damage, inducing a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of C Abraham Ayala. DH Dick Daly, Jr. was able to score on the play, giving the Skyhawks a 2-1 lead, but Valdes escaped the potentially dangerous inning when he got 2B Magic Mears to flail at strike 3, one of 7 strikeouts on the night for Valdes.

The Jackals wasted no time getting back into the lead, though they certainly had help from the Skyhawks themselves. In the home half of the 3rd, after a Veras ground-rule double and back-to-back walks for Fernandez and 2B "Mighty" Joe Mihalics juiced up the bases, 1B "Big" Bill Peavey stepped up to the dish and chopped a grounder to 2nd. Mears gobbled it up, but proceeded to air-mail the throw, sending the ball soaring over the head of Cabrera and into the Skyhawks' dugout. It could have been the 3rd out of the inning, but instead Veras and Fernandez both trotted home on the error by Mears, putting the Jackals back on top 3-2.

The lead was extended to 4-2 in the bottom of the 7th inning when Reyes launched a solo homerun that easily cleared the RF fence. After not hitting a dinger all season, Reyes now has 2 in 2 games, a trend he and the Jackals certainly would not mind seeing continue.

Even with their chances running out, the Skyhawks were able to keep Jackals fans on the edge of their seats. In the top half of the 8th, SS Bobby LeNoir took a single into CF, and Mears, who had been on 3rd after a wild pitch by Valdes, easily scored to cut the Jackals' lead to just a run.

With the game on the line, the Jackals turned to their closer, RHP Jason Wylie. Wylie entered in the top of the 9th inning and sat down the first 2 Skyhawks on groundouts. After walking LF Scott Grimes to bring the winning run up to the plate, Wylie fell behind Ayala 2-0. But the ever-reliable fireballer came back with 2 straight strikes, and then slammed the door on the Skyhawks, striking out Ayala for his 7th save of the season, his 5th since coming over to the Jackals from Brockton for pitcher John Kelly in the end of June.

The series continues at Yogi Berra Stadium tomorrow night at 7:05, and great seats still remain by calling the Jackals' box office at (973) 655-8025.

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Canadian American League Stories from August 8, 2006


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