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Can-Am New Jersey Jackals

Late Rally By Quebec Steals Win From Jackals

September 6, 2009 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
New Jersey Jackals News Release


Quebec City, QUE - Fire, no matter how hot it burns, eventually always succumbs to the laws of nature and dies out. Every pitcher, no matter how hot he is running, eventually succumbs to the laws of baseball and gets hit. On Sunday evening, with his team clinging to a two run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, New Jersey Jackals right-hander Romas Hicks was finally hit. It had been exactly three weeks since the relief pitcher had allowed a run, a streak that saw him fire seven innings of shutout work over six appearances, allowing just three base runners while striking out an almost incomprehensible 17 batters. The Quebec Capitales extinguished the young fire ball with three runs in the bottom of the frame to escape with a 7-6 victory at Stad Municipal de Quebec.

The inning began inauspiciously enough. With the Jackals leading 6-4, Hicks (4-2) plunking Quebec right fielder Sebastien Boucher in the back to begin the frame. After center fielder Goef Tomlinson drew a walk, second baseman Josh Colafemina dropped a sacrifice bunt - at least, it was supposed to be. The ball, which was pushed back to the mound, was fielded by Hicks who opted to try and force out the lead runner Boucher at third. Instead, the throw was wide of the base and thrown down the line in left, allowing Boucher to score, Tomlinson to move to third and for Colafemina to wind up standing at second. The next batter, shortstop Ivan Naccarata, hit a ball up the middle too far for Jackals shortstop Mike DeJesus to make a play on, thus bringing in the tying run on an infield RBI-single. A couple of batters later, third baseman Pat Deschenes delivered the final blow with an RBI-single of his own that scored Colafemina to set the final score at 6-7.

Quebec closer Derek McDaid - who had to warm up rather quickly - came on in the top of the ninth and retired three straight batters, ending the contest with a swinging strikeout of Jackals first baseman Chris Garcia. Right-hander Jason Schutt (4-5), who had pitched the eighth inning, earned the victory in relief despite allowing a run in his one inning of work.

The evening had begun favorably for New Jersey, with the Jackals scoring a run in each of the first two innings off Quebec starter Karl Gelinas on an RBI-double from center fielder Timo Perez and a sac fly from DeJesus. As would prove to be the theme all night, the Capitales quickly answered with two runs in the bottom of the second off Jackals starter Nick Asselin to tie the game. After catcher Patrick D'Aoust laced an RBI-single, a pitch in the dirt that got away from New Jersey catcher Matt Lauderdale allowed Quebec designated hitter Patrick Scalabrini to scamper home from third.

The Capitales would get two more runs - one in the third and one in the fifth - before Asselin was lifted from the game after the sixth. Tomlinson was responsible for both runs crossing home plate, registering an RBI-groundout in the third followed by a run-scoring double in the fifth inning that made it a 4-3 contest.

In the seventh, the momentum of the ballgame swung quickly in the Jackals favor when right fielder Myron Leslie led off the inning with a solo home run to left field off Quebec left-hander Mike Joyce, a blast that tied the game at four. Later in the inning, a groundball from third baseman Mike Scanzano was fielded cleanly but thrown away by Colafemina, allowing Lauderdale to score the go-ahead run. New Jersey tacked on one more run in the top of the eighth courtesy of a sac fly-RBI from Perez, his third RBI of the night. That of course set the stage for the eventual rally in the bottom of the inning by Quebec.

The loss was just the sixth all season for New Jersey after they carried a lead past the seventh inning.

New Jersey and Quebec will conclude the regular season tomorrow afternoon with first pitch schedule for 4:05 p.m. The Jackals will send left-hander Giuseppe Granitto to the mound with Capitales giving the baseball to right-hander Dan Sausville. Joey Whelan will have the live call of the game at www.jackals.com with the pre-game show starting 10 minutes prior.

The New Jersey Jackals, proud members of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, play their home games at Yogi Berra Stadium located on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, NJ. The Jackals have clinched the 2009 Can-Am League first-half title and an automatic berth in the playoffs, which begin on September 9. Playoff and regular season tickets, mini-plans and group outings are available by calling 973-746-7434. Visit the Jackals online at www.Jackals.com.

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Canadian American League Stories from September 6, 2009


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