Jackals Clinch 2026 Frontier League Playoff Berth With 9-2 Win Over Miners

PATERSON— New Jersey defeated the Sussex County Miners 9-2 Saturday night at Hinchliffe Stadium, securing its first postseason berth since 2023. The victory also extended the Jackals’ winning streak to eight games as they improved to 53-41 on the season.

The Jackals are 9-1 over their last 10 games and 30-15 at home this season. With the regular season entering its final stretch, New Jersey remains in contention for the Frontier League’s East Division title alongside the New York Boulders, who finished Saturday at 51-43.

Connor Maryniak played a key role in the playoff-clinching victory, delivering five scoreless innings while striking out five. He allowed only two hits, issued no walks and threw 67 pitches.

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New Jersey opened the scoring in the second inning when second baseman Alvaro Gonzalez launched his 12th home run of the season over the center-field wall. Right fielder Gustavo Sosa added his 17th homer in the fourth inning before designated hitter Isaac Bellony followed with a two-run shot, his 20th of the season, to give the Jackals a 4-0 advantage.

Sussex County cut the deficit to 4-2 in the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Gabriel Maciel, but the Jackals answered immediately.

New Jersey erupted for five runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Catcher Anedius Mordan and Bellony opened the inning with back-to-back singles before left fielder David Glancy drove in Mordan with a single. Bellony later stole home, and third baseman Martin Figueroa added a two-run single to extend the lead to 9-2.

Figueroa, Bellony and Sosa each finished with two hits and two RBIs, while Mordan added a multi-hit performance.

The Jackals’ pitching staff held the Miners scoreless over the final three innings to secure the victory and the postseason berth.

The playoff appearance marks New Jersey’s first since 2023. The Jackals enter the postseason chase with a chance to compete for their first Frontier League championship. The franchise has won six championships across multiple leagues, with its most recent title coming in 2020 before the organization joined the Frontier League. New Jersey has yet to win a Frontier League championship.

The Jackals also enter the postseason as one of the Frontier League’s top offensive and pitching teams, leading the league in home runs (135) and strikeouts thrown (851).

The 2026 season marks the first year of the Frontier League’s expanded 102-game regular-season schedule, up from 96 games in previous seasons.

New Jersey has one regular-season game remaining against the Sussex County Miners before traveling to Quebec for a series against the Capitales. The Jackals will then return to Hinchliffe Stadium for their final regular-season series against the Ottawa Titans.

New Jersey will look to complete a second consecutive sweep  at 1:50 p.m. Sunday, August 30, at Hinchliffe Stadium.

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The Jackals will continue to battle the Boulders for the East Division title as the regular season comes to a close.