Trouble surfaced in the top of the first inning for Jackals RHP Eduard Reyes, allowing Miners OF Breland Almadova to reach on a single, and OF Jordan Scott along with OF Mikey Reynolds reaching on walks, loading the bases without an out recorded. Almadova then scored on a balk by Reyes, making it 1-0 Miners. 

1B Audy Ciriaco grounded out to second base, driving in Scott from third, 2-0 Sussex County. 

2B Trey Hair then drove in the third Miners run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to score Reynolds from third base, making it 3-0 Sussex County. 

In the bottom of the third inning, the Jackals worked their way on base by walks to 3B Conrad Gregor and OF Demetrius Moorer and a single by 1B Isaac Wenrich. OF Alfredo Marte then drew a bases loaded free pass, scoring Wenrich from third. The Jackals cut the Miners lead to 3-1 at the end of three innings. 

In the top of the fourth inning, Sussex County added three more runs by ways of Reynolds’ opposite field three-run home run off Reyes. The Miners extended their lead to 6-1, thus taking the air out of Yogi Berra Stadium. 

Reyes was pulled after five innings of work, allowing nine hits and eight earned runs with five walks. LHP Anthony Auletta came in the sixth inning to keep the game as is. 

Sussex County pushed across two more runs in the top of the sixth inning courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Reynolds and an RBI single by 1B Audy Ciriaco, upping the Miners lead to 8-1. 

Miners’ RHP Tim Burns outing ended after seven one-run innings, allowing six hits despite walking five batters. RHP Jeff Thompson took over in the eighth inning to finish off the game. 

Sussex County added further to their already sizeable lead in the seventh inning, plating two more runs. Almadova singled to bring home SS Cito Culver and C Gavin Stupienski, making it a 10-1 contest.

In the eighth inning, Reynolds added to his stellar day by crushing a home run to left field giving Sussex County’s the 11-1 lead. 

OF Jose Brizuela added another run with a home run in the top of the ninth inning for the Miners, making it 12-1.

The Jackals added two runs in the bottom of the ninth but ultimately New Jersey dropped game two to the Sussex County Miners by a score of 12-3. 

Game three will take place on Friday, September 13 as the Jackals aim to take a 2-1 lead in the Can-Am League Championship as the series heads to Sussex County. 

Patrick Getz