JackHammers defeat RailCats
Published on May 20, 2005 under Northern League (NL)
Joliet JackHammers News Release
Joliet, ILâThe Joliet JackHammers kicked off their 4th season of Northern League baseball on Friday night at Silver Cross Field in front of 5,965 fans. These two teams appeared pretty evenly matched, and would find themselves dead-locked at 2 runs apiece, heading to the 8th inning. It would be the JackHammers who would score that decisive run, off reliever Nathan Stone to give the JackHammers the 3-2 opening day win. Josh Loggins had the game winning RBI single in the bottom of the 8th, which scored Jermaine Allensworth.
For the first time in team history, someone other than veteran right-hander Rich Hyde would get the opening day nod for the JackHammers as Hyde starts the 2005 campaign on the disabled list but will still serve as the team's pitching coach. The man who would throw the first pitch of the 2005 season would be none other than Plainfield's own Jason Shelley. Jason split last season pitching for the Milwaukee Brewer's AA club and finished up the year in the Atlantic League (Independent).
Shelley would pitch quite well, going 6 strong innings, scattering 5 hits and allowing just 1 run which was earned. Jason would strike out 4 on the night without walking a single batter. All night long he would stay ahead of the hitters, keeping them off-balance with a barrage of off-speed pitches. He wasn't afraid to challenge the hitters and as a result keep most of the Gary hitters uneasy at the plate. Jason would leave after 6 innings of work and a 2-1 lead, but would not figure into the decision.
Opposing him on the mound Friday night was right hander Greg Bruso, who made 13 starts last year in the San Francisco Giants rookie and single A clubs. Upon reading Bruso's numbers at first, you had to wonder what he was doing starting the first game of the season. Last year he was 1-7 with a 5.48 ERA while at High Desert (A). Bruso would pitch equally well as his counterpart tonight however, working 5 quality innings, allowing just 2 earned runs on 4 hits while striking out 5. In 3 of the 5 innings he pitched, he would retire the side. Greg would also get a no-decision after leaving the game trailing it 2-1.
The game would then turn to the bullpens, and both team's were equally up to the challenge. Gary would scratch across an un-earned run in the top of the 8th off of set up man Joaquin Canizal after an errant throw by Jayson Drobiak sailed into right field allowing the tying run to score. The RailCats would then essentially run themselves out of the inning as Anthony Iapoce who'd reached on the error would then run to an already occupied base and force an out at 3rd. Iapoce would then be caught stealing when Canizal nailed him at 2nd to end the frame. The RailCats would also have a runner thrown out at 2nd by right-fielder Matt McCay, and Joilet's catcher Jeff Goldbach would obliterate 2 would-be base stealers.
Canizal would get the win for his 8th inning efforts, to go to 1-0 on the season while Nathan Stone was handed the loss, his first of the year. Amad Stephens was brilliant in the 9th, retiring the side in order with a little help from his defense to notch save #1.
7 of the JackHammer's 9 starters would get a hit, while 2 RailCats had multi hit evenings: Steve Haake was 2-3 and was joined by Jay Pecci's 2-3 1 RBI night.
Northern League Stories from May 20, 2005
- Cracker-Cats beat T-Bones - Edmonton Capitals
- Rally comes up short as Saints fall in opener - St. Paul Saints
- JackHammers defeat RailCats - Joliet JackHammers
- X's down Vipers 7-3 - Sioux City Explorers
- Flyers take opener - Schaumburg Flyers
- Cracker-Cats defeat T-Bones - Kansas City Monarchs
- Game suspended by rain - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
- RailCats fall 3-2 in season opener - Gary SouthShore Railcats
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