The New Jersey Jackals saw their recent hot streak come to an end Tuesday night, falling 6-2 to the Down East Bird Dawgs in the opener of a three-game series at Hinchliffe Stadium.
The loss snapped momentum for the Jackals, who entered the night having won eight of their previous 10 games. Down East, meanwhile, improved after entering the matchup with just three wins in its last 10 contests.
Despite striking out 10 batters over six innings, Jackals starter Elio Serrano was tagged with the loss after a pair of big innings proved costly. Down East starter Axel Andueza earned the win, allowing two runs over five innings while striking out seven.
Neither team threatened through the first two innings. Serrano struck out four of the first nine hitters he faced, while Andueza retired the Jackals in order in the first before working around traffic in the second.
The Bird Dawgs broke through in the third inning. Consecutive singles from catcher Tyler Blaum, second baseman Trey Law and centerfielder Stephen DiTomaso loaded the bases before shortstop Kalae Harrison drove in the game’s first run on a groundout.
An errant throw home allowed a second run to score on the play, and first baseman Christian Adams added another RBI groundout to give Down East a 3-0 lead.
The Jackals answered in the bottom half of the inning. First baseman Dariel Gomez singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch after right fielder Gustavo Sosa moved into scoring position with a stolen base, trimming the deficit to 3-1.
Serrano settled back in during the fourth, striking out another batter and working around a double to keep the Jackals within striking distance.
Down East broke the game open in the fifth. Harrison delivered an RBI double before Adams launched a two-run homer over the right-field wall, extending the Bird Dawgs’ lead to 6-1.
The Jackals responded with a run in the bottom of the inning when designated hitter Isaac Bellony lined a two-out RBI single up the middle to score shortstop Cesar Morillo, cutting the deficit to 6-2. Bellony later stole second, but Andueza stranded him there by recording his seventh strikeout of the game.
Serrano finished his outing by retiring the side in order in the sixth, striking out designated hitter Yeniel Laboy and third baseman Kenny Levari for his ninth and 10th strikeouts of the night. He allowed six runs over six innings while matching a season high with 10 strikeouts.
The Jackals’ bullpen kept the game within reach the rest of the way. Nyan Hernandez tossed a scoreless seventh inning, striking out Adams, while Leonardo Rodriguez and Chase Hungate combined to throw two more scoreless frames.
New Jersey had opportunities late but could not capitalize. The Jackals put two runners aboard in the seventh and loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth after singles from Sosa and catcher Aneudis Mordan and a walk by Bellony. Bird Dawgs reliever Greg Martinez entered and struck out left fielder Martin Figueroa to end the game.
Following the loss, Jackals center fielder Noah Furcht said there is little adjustment despite facing the Bird Dawgs for six consecutive games over two series.
“It’s not very different,” Furcht said. “You face different guys every day, so if you see a starter again for a second time, it just helps out because you can look back at your previous at-bats. It makes preparation a little easier.”
Asked how the Jackals can prevent one loss from slowing their recent success, Furcht emphasized moving forward quickly.
“I think you just have to learn from what you did wrong and move on to the next game,” he said.
The Jackals will look to even the series Wednesday night, July 1, when they host the Bird Dawgs at Hinchliffe Stadium. First pitch is slated for 7:45 p.m. in the Jackals three day celebration for America’s 250th birthday.
