In the final game of the three-game series, the New Jersey Jackals defeated the Brockton Rox in a back-and-forth contest that required extra innings to decide.
On a clear afternoon at Hinchliffe Stadium, the Jackals handed the ball to ace Sonny Fauci, while Brockton countered with Richard Brito. The Rox struck first in the opening inning when Austin White reached and aggressively worked his way around the bases. After moving into scoring position, White capitalized on a defensive miscue at third base, crossing the plate to give Brockton an early 1-0 lead.
Fauci settled in after the shaky start, striking out Evan Sleight to end the inning. Brito matched him early, using his curveball effectively to strike out Christian Hall and Martin Figueroa in the bottom half. Both pitchers showed command through the first few innings, with Fauci racking up strikeouts and Brito keeping the Jackals off balance.
In the third inning, White recorded the first official hit for Brockton, but an attempted steal was erased by a strong throw from catcher Jedier Hernandez, cutting him down at second. That defensive play provided a spark for New Jersey. In the bottom half, Connor Maryniak singled for the Jackals and advanced into scoring position on a balk and a passed ball. Brito’s control issues continued as a second balk in the same at-bat allowed Maryniak to score, tying the game at one.
The game shifted dramatically in the fourth inning. After allowing a hit and a walk, Fauci left a pitch over the plate that Sleight drove deep to center field for a three-run home run, putting the Rox ahead 4-1. Brockton continued to apply pressure, adding another run in the fifth after a defensive miscue allowed a run to score on what could have been an inning-ending double play.
Despite falling behind 5-1, the Jackals showed resilience. Dante Stuart launched a solo home run to cut the deficit to 5-2, and the bullpen began to stabilize the game. Maryniak entered in relief and delivered two strong innings, striking out multiple batters and keeping the Rox scoreless while flashing composure on the mound.
“I’ve been doing it pretty much my whole life, so it’s nothing I’m not used to. You know, I’ve been doing it since I was little, so it’s kind of a second age for me now,” said Maryniak after playing all over the field today for New Jersey.
“I don’t let it carry over to my bats. Or if I have a bad at bat, I don’t let it carry over to the mound. You know, I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of that my whole life, and I kind of keep the two as separate as possible. But, yeah, I just got to do my job wherever I’m playing, to be honest.”
The turning point came in the seventh inning. After back-to-back singles put runners on base, Brockton turned to its bullpen. Carson McKenna entered but quickly ran into trouble, hitting a batter to load the bases. Hernandez delivered the big hit, ripping a two-RBI double to bring the Jackals within one run at 5-4. Although Brockton escaped further damage, momentum had clearly shifted.
Hernandez emphasized his simple approach at the plate after the game. “Honestly, no matter what’s going on with the game, I’m just trying to put a good swing on it. So, again, good pitch. The rest God has it. So, that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
New Jersey continued to battle late. In the ninth inning, down to their final outs, the Jackals mounted another rally. After a single by Dariel Gomez, Hernandez again came through, driving a double into left field. Gomez scored easily, tying the game at 5-5 and forcing extra innings.
Behind the plate, Hernandez also reflected on his defensive consistency. “To be honest, catching, thankfully, I’ve been catching since I was three. It’s literally the only thing I’ve done is catch, catch, catch. So I don’t think about it, to be honest, I just go out there.”
Under extra-inning rules, Brockton regained the lead in the 10th. A sacrifice bunt moved the automatic runner to third, and a groundout brought him home, making it 6-5. However, the Jackals answered in the bottom half. With Maryniak placed on second to start the inning, a sacrifice bunt and a deep fly ball from Figueroa allowed Maryniak to score, evening the game at six.
The contest moved into the 11th inning, where the Frontier League’s sudden-death format came into play. In this format, the home team chooses whether to bat or field, with a runner placed on first base and no outs. The Jackals elected to take the field, putting the pressure on their defense to secure the win.
Ryan Steinhauer took the mound and executed perfectly. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring position, Steinhauer recorded a critical strikeout to bring the Jackals within one out of victory. He then induced a ground ball to first base, which was handled cleanly to end the game and seal the win for New Jersey.
Fauci finished with five innings pitched, allowing five runs, three earned, while striking out seven. Stuart led the offense with two hits, including his home run, while Hernandez was the standout performer, collecting two hits and driving in three runs, including the game-tying RBI in the ninth.
For Brockton, Brito delivered a solid outing despite the loss, pitching six innings with six strikeouts. Giordano and Derek Bender each recorded two hits, while White reached base three times.
With the victory, the Jackals improved to 4-2 on the season and secured another home series win. They will now head on the road to face the Down East Bird Dawgs in a three-game set beginning Friday, May 15.
