OVERPECK PARK— In the second meeting of the season between the North Jersey Eagles and the Jersey Pilots, it was the Eagles prevailing again to move to 5-3-1 on the young season.

After the Pilots got one on the board in the top half of the first, the Eagles came up to bat. After a leadoff walk to Shane Woelfel, slugger Luis Amaro crushed a pitch into deep right center field for his 3rd home run of the season and giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

In his next at bat in the 2nd inning, he had 2 runners on and he sent this ball even further for a 3 run shot. In his first 2 at bats, Amaro had 2 home runs and 5 RBIs, just after 2 innings of play.

He wasn’t done just yet.

In the top of the 3rd with the eagles up 5-2, starter Alex Mack continued to struggle with his control as he gave up a single to Eddie Lehr to make it 5-3. An error by DeFrancesco allowed a couple more runners to score and the Eagles early lead was gone, and Mack’s day was done as well.

We go to the bottom of the 4th for Amaro’s third at bat and he was up with the bases loaded and nobody out. He sent a pitch to the opposite field corner clearing the bases and putting the Eagles up 8-5.

Amaro was 3-3 with a 2-run HR, 3-run HR, and 3-run double good for a career high 8 RBI’s and only through 4 innings of play.

Next batter was Brian Kelly who sent a ball out to the deepest part of the park in center field scoring Amaro making it 10-5 Eagles as Alexander Hladik’s day was done allowing 10 runs, 7ER in 3.1 innings pitched.

Neither starter had good stuff as it became a bullpen game early.  Jason Salva got the win for the Eagles, his first of the year after pitching 2.1 shutout innings striking out 4 Pilots. He came in with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the top of the 5th and got the Eagles out of trouble.

After Blake Espinal gave up 3 runs while only recording 1 out cutting the Eagle lead to only 3, the Eagles brought in their closer Corey Sawyer who shut the door with 1.2 innings of shutout baseball striking out 4 guys recording the save.

The Eagles got their first win of the year at Overpeck Park and have a doubleheader this weekend at FDU against the South Jersey Giants who currently sit a ½ game ahead of the Eagles at 7-4 good for second place in the ACBL. Meanwhile the Pilots fall to 3-9 currently in the basement of the ACBL will face the Staten Island Tide tomorrow night at Drew University.

-Nick Pereira