02 Aug Jackals Drop Opener in Joliet
JOLIET, Ill. – The New Jersey Jackals (22-46) fell to the Joliet Slammers (34-36) 4-2. The Slammers scored four unanswered in the second, third and fourth frames. In the second, Ian Battipaglia lifted a sacrifice fly, scoring Sal Carricato.
In the third, Carricato doubled, plating Antonio Valdez and Braylin Marine, increasing the Joliet lead to 3-0. They tacked on one more in the fourth on a Jose Contreras sacrifice fly that drove in Battipaglia.
Slammers’ starter Gunnar Kines (W, 4-5) faced the minimum through six innings, allowing only one hit. In the seventh, the Jackals got on the board in the third trip through the lineup when Ryan Ford hit a fly ball that was mis-played, allowing Luis Acevedo and Jake DeLeo to score, slicing the gap down to 4-2. Kines lasted eight innings, allowing two unearned runs with eight strikeouts. Greyson Linderman (Sv, 11) retired the Jackals in order in the ninth.
New Jersey starter Francis Ferguson (L, 2-6) tossed five innings, conceding four runs with five strikeouts. Jackals’ relievers Dan Kiritsis, Michael Esposito and Frankie Giuliano each tossed a scoreless frame.
The Jackals try to even the series in Joliet on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT.