After taking two of three from the Tri-City ValleyCats on opening weekend, the New Jersey Jackals defeated the Brockton Rox, 8-2, to extend their winning streak to three games.
On a clear morning at Hinchliffe Stadium, the Jackals relied on timely hitting and steady pitching to secure the opening game of the series. The Jackals set the tone early behind the bats of Felix Stevens and Dante Stuart, both of whom delivered multiple home runs in a dominant offensive performance.
Right-hander Elio Serrano got the start for New Jersey and worked through early trouble in the first inning. After issuing a walk to Austin White, who advanced to third on a dropped ball and aggressive baserunning, Serrano regained control. He struck out Evan Giordano and Tommy Kretzler in consecutive at-bats to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.
“The mindset for today was just attacking the zone and execute the plan that I was thinking,” Serrano said. “My best pitches today were the fastball and slider. They were working nice.”
The Jackals responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning against Brockton starter Eli Majick. Center fielder Jakobi Davis was retired to begin the frame, but Connor Maryniak followed with a single to center field. Stevens then stepped to the plate and drove a ball deep to center for a two-run home run, giving New Jersey a 2-0 lead.
Brockton answered in the second inning. Serrano walked designated hitter Scott Seeker to open the frame, and back-to-back singles from Hayden Travinski and Evan Sleight brought in the Rox’s first run. A double play off the bat of Eddie Javier Jr. later in the inning allowed the tying run to score, evening the game at 2-2 before Serrano recorded his third strikeout.
Both pitchers settled in before the Jackals regained control in the fourth inning. After Stevens worked a walk, Stuart stepped in and launched a two-run home run to center field, restoring the lead at 4-2 and shifting momentum back to New Jersey.
“Just take it one pitch at a time, try to win every pitch, you know, make it play, if I can for my guys,” Stuart said.
(Shyla Murray)
Serrano’s outing ended after four innings, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out five and walking two to earn the win.
The Jackals broke the game open in the fifth inning against reliever Dillon Ryan. Davis led off with a single, and Martin Figueroa followed with an RBI double to center field, extending the lead to 5-2. Stevens then hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that made it 7-2. Stuart followed later in the inning with a solo home run, his second of the game, pushing the lead to 8-2.
“You could expect us to just come out there and just play the ball game that we normally play,” Stuart said. “We’re going to come out, we’re going to grind, we’re going to try to win every pitch, winning every at-bat, and just be who we are.”
New Jersey’s bullpen preserved the lead the rest of the way. Andrew Peters delivered two scoreless innings in relief, striking out two. JoJo Rodriguez followed with a scoreless seventh, working around a double by Travinski, and Breyln Jones handled the eighth inning. Ryan Steinhauer entered in the ninth and closed out the victory.
Offensively, the Jackals were led by Stevens and Stuart, who each hit two home runs and combined for six RBIs. Figueroa reached base three times with a single, double and walk.
Majick was charged with the loss for Brockton after allowing four runs over four innings. The Rox were limited to three hits, including two from Travinski and an RBI single from Sleight.
With the win, the Jackals improved their early-season form and will look to extend their streak in the second game of the three-game series against the Rox on Wednesday at 10:35 a.m. at Hinchliffe Stadium.
