Can-Am New Jersey Jackals

Skyhawks Earn Sweep with 6-3 Win in Wild Contest

August 10, 2008 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
New Jersey Jackals News Release


Augusta, NJ - In a game that featured a downpour, four combined errors and a trio of ejections, the Sussex Skyhawks (14-13, 39-35) outlasted the New Jersey Jackals (10-17, 35-39) 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at Skylands Park. With the win, the Skyhawks earned the sweep of the three-game series.

For the third straight day, the Jackals jumped out to an early 1-0 lead. In the top of the first inning, Jackals 1B Juan Tejeda doubled before scoring on an RBI two-bagger by DH Luke Allen. That score held until the bottom of the third when Sussex plated two unearned runs against Jackals' starter Ted Serro. Skyhawks SS Kevin Rios led off with a single. The next batter, RF Jorge Moreno, hit a grounder to third which Jackals 3B David Urias's threw low to second. The Urias error put runners on first and second with no outs. After 1B Matt Weston struck out, DH Mario Delgado's grounder to short snuck through the legs of Jackals SS Bryant Nelson, enabling Rios to come home and tie the game at 1-1. 2B Chris Brown followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to score Moreno and put Sussex on top 2-1.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Jackals countered with an unearned run of their own off Sussex starter Gary Galvez. RF Marcos Rodriguez singled with one out and advanced to third on a throwing error by Brown to place runners on second and third. Urias then plated Rodriguez with a ground out to even the score at 2-2. In the fifth inning, the skies opened up the rain began to fall. In the bottom of the inning, the rain began to saturate the field and the Skyhawks took advantage of difficult pitching conditions for Serro. Leading off the inning, Weston launched his league-leading 17th home run of the season to right field. Delgado then doubled and advanced to third on a single by Brown. During the next at bat, Serro sent a wild pitch to the backstop which enabled Delgado to score and give the Skyhawks a 4-2 lead. After an attempt by the grounds crew to keep the field playable failed, the game went into a rain delay with Brown aboard at second following a walk to LF Alex Frazier and no outs in the fifth. When play resumed following a one hour, five minute rain delay, Sussex added two more runs against Jackals reliever Dustin Cameron to take a 6-2 lead through five innings of play.

In the top of the eighth inning following a leadoff strikeout by Nelson, Jackals manager Joe Calfapietra, pitching coach Greg Runser, and pitcher Tom Atlee were ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Immediately after the incident, Tejeda unleashed his team-leading eleventh home run of the season to left field to cut the deficit to 6-3. That was as close as the Jackals would come.

Both starters were removed from the game following the rain delay, but both factored in the decision. For the Skyhawks, Galvez (3-5) picked up the win, allowing two runs - one earned - on four hits with four strikeouts in five innings of work. Serro (3-3) suffered the hard-luck loss for New Jersey, surrendering six runs - four earned - on nine hits in four innings of work. Serro had allowed just two earned runs until beginning the bottom of the fifth inning, where he was charged with all four Skyhawks' runs during the rainy frame. Skyhawks reliever Roger Lincoln hurled the final four innings of the game for Sussex to earn his second save of the season. In the contest, Jackals' closer Rusty Tucker threw a scoreless eighth inning despite having his hitless innings streak snapped at eight consecutive innings thanks to a one-out single by Rios.

The Jackals are off on Monday before traveling to New Hampshire on Tuesday night to begin a three-game series against the Nashua Pride. Tuesday's first pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. with right-hander Tom Atlee (1-4, 4.67 ERA) making the start for New Jersey. Tune in to the Jackals live webcast at www.jackals.com to catch every inning with the broadcast beginning five minutes prior to first pitch.

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Canadian American League Stories from August 10, 2008


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