Jackals Fall to Titans

PATERSON, N.J. — The New Jersey Jackals returned home Friday night hoping to end a difficult stretch but fell to the Ottawa Titans, 12-2, at Hinchliffe Stadium.

The Jackals ran into trouble early against Ottawa’s offense. After Billy Duby struck out the first two batters he faced, Titans second baseman Jackie Urbaez singled and stole second to put himself in scoring position. Third baseman AJ Wright followed with an RBI single up the middle to give the Titans a 1-0 lead before first baseman Kaiden Cardoso launched a two-run home run beyond the center-field wall, extending Ottawa’s advantage to 3-0 in the opening inning.

Ottawa continued to build momentum in the third inning. Urbaez led off the frame with another base hit, and with two outs Thomas Ferroggiaro delivered a two-run single to make it 5-0. Left fielder Daniel McElveny followed with a two-run homer to right field, capping a four-run inning and giving the Titans a commanding 7-0 lead.

The Jackals answered in the bottom half of the third. Center fielder Noah Furcht and catcher Trenton Duchscherer recorded consecutive hits before left fielder Martin Figueroa lined an RBI single to left field, scoring Furcht for New Jersey’s first run of the night. However, the rally stalled as third baseman Felix Stevens flew out deep to center field and designated hitter Luis Encarnacion grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Any momentum the Jackals gained was quickly erased in the fourth inning. Outfielders Chris Davis and Jackson Lyon opened the frame with back-to-back singles before Wright connected on a three-run home run to right field, pushing Ottawa’s lead to 10-1 and ending Duby’s outing.

Duby was charged with the loss after allowing 10 earned runs on 11 hits over 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out six batters, did not issue a walk and allowed three home runs.

Ottawa starter Kaleb Hill settled in after the third inning and turned in a strong performance. Hill worked six innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out seven and walking two.

The Titans added two more runs in the eighth inning when Urbaez capped a three-hit performance with a two-run home run following a Lyon single. The blast made it 12-1 and marked Ottawa’s fourth home run of the game.

The Jackals plated their final run in the bottom of the eighth. Shortstop Isaac Nunez was hit by a pitch to begin the inning before Figueroa collected his second hit of the game. Stevens then drove an RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Nunez to cut the deficit to 12-2.

New Jersey threatened to add more after pinch hitter Christian Hall drew a walk to load the bases with no outs, but the opportunity slipped away. First baseman Dariel Gomez grounded into a fielder’s choice before second baseman Connor Maryniak hit into an inning-ending double play. The Jackals stranded eight runners on base in the contest.

Dwayne Matos closed out the victory for Ottawa, tossing three scoreless innings to earn the save as the Titans secured the 12-2 win.

With the loss, the Jackals dropped to 14-19 on the season.

The Jackals will look to bounce back when they continue their three-game series against the Titans on Wednesday morning at Hinchliffe Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. Eastern.

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Author: Matt Goldman