THREE TEAMS WALK-OFF AS NEW SERIES START

Ottawa vs New Jersey

On Tuesday night, the New Jersey Jackals(17-20) kicked off a three-game set with the Ottawa Titans(25-12) at Yogi Berra Stadium, looking to bounce back after dropping two of three to the Quebec Capitales this past weekend. New Jersey handed the ball to Jorge Tavares and Ottawa turned to Zac Westcott in game one here in Jersey.

Ottawa jumped on Tavares early, posting 4 runs in the first inning behind two doubles, a hit by pitch, and sac fly. Tavares would settle down to throw five scoreless innings. He would end his night with 6 IP, 4 ER on 5 hits, along with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. New Jersey would chip away in the third, tallying runs on RBI doubles by Alfredo Marte and Justin Wylie. They'd tack on another on a moonshot from Josh Rehwaldt to leadoff the bottom of the sixth. Hansel Rodriguez and Jefry Valdez maintained the one-run ballgame, pitching

scoreless 7th and 8th innings respectively.

The Jackals managed to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth following an error by Ottawa 3B AJ Wright off the bat of Santiago Chirino to conclude a Jackals rally that included clutch hits by Jason Agresti and Todd Isaacs, setting up the Jackals in prime position to walk it off as Ottawa turned to Jack Alkire, hoping to send the game to extras. 

After a rough first inning for Tavares, Jackals pitching would not allow another run for the remainder of the game, as both Tavares and the three bullpen arms strapped in to let the offense do their thing. Alkire wouldn't even get an out in the bottom of the ninth, as Alfredo Marte promptly launched a ball over the right field wall to walk it off for New Jersey, giving the team their seventh home victory of the season. Marte was mobbed by his teammates and a nice Gatorade shower at home plate.

Tri-City vs Trois-Rivières 

The Tri-City ValleyCats (20-19) arrived at Stade Quillorama on Tuesday with a .500 record, looking to capitalize on momentum from a big, series-clinching win against the Empire State Greys on Sunday in this evening's series opener with the Trois-Rivieres Aigles(17-20). 

The 'Cats gave Joey Gonzalez the ball in the weeknight opener. Gonzalez, pitching on short rest following a dazzling performance in his last start against the Empire State Greys, did not disappoint. The right-hander spun six strong innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 earned run, walking 1, and striking out 4 en route to his third victory of the 2022 campaign. Gonzalez's strong start was backed by an equally strong relief effort by Tri-City, with one-inning outings from LHP Oddy Nunez and RHP Adam Hofacket. RHP Trey Cochran-Gill would struggle early in the ninth, surrendering two runs, before ultimately closing the door on the Aigles.

Offensively, designated hitter Willy Garcia would be the only 'Cat to record a multi-hit game, going 3-for-5 with 3 RBI. Pavin Parks would reach three times, recording an RBI double and two walks. Jace Mercer would tally an RBI despite a hitless night on a sacrifice fly to left. Pavin Parks and Brantley Bell would each swipe a bag in the top of the first as part of a successful double steal attempt.

Empire State vs New York

Trey Woosley hit a lead off home run in the ninth inning to lift the Empire State Greys(2-36) to a 3-2 win over the New York Boulders(19-21) on Tuesday night at Clover Stadium in Pomona.

Woosley's second home run of the season gave the Greys their second win in three games after they opened the Frontier League season with 35 successive defeats and made a loser of New York reliever Zach Schneider, who fell to 0-3 on the year.

Holden Bernhardt pitched a scoreless final 1 1/3 innings to pick up the win for the Greys. He leveled his season mark at 1-1.

The game was an old time pitcher's dual through the first 7 1/2 innings between the Boulders' Dan Wirchansky and the Greys' Luis Pacheco.

Wirchansky pitched eight innings for the Boulders and allowed two runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out a dozen. The 12 strikeouts tied the Boulders' team mark which had been done three times previously, the last time on June 1, 2021 by Wirchansky against the Tri-City ValleyCats,.

Meanwhile, Pacheco matched Wirchansky through seven innings. He surrendered two runs on five hits and struck out five. Pacheco did not walk a batter.

The game was knotted at 2-2 through eight innings. The Boulders broke on top with a run in their half of the second on an RBI double by Francisco Del Valle, but the Greys answered that with a run of their own on a run-scoring double from Robbie Carling in the third.

Empire State moved ahead 2-1 in the fifth when Khalyd Cox hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot; but the Boulders responded with an RBI single by Giovanni Garbella in the bottom of the fifth.

Quebec vs Sussex County

Isaias Quiroz helped lead the Sussex County Miners(24-17) to a 3-2 walk-off win against the Quebec Capitales (28-11) on Tuesday night at Skylands Stadium. 

The Capitales got on the scoreboard first in the top of the fifth with a double from David Glaude to make it 1-0. 

It would be a pitcher's duel after that with neither team giving up another run until the ninth inning. 

Jawaun Harris would ground out to allow a run to score for the Miners, tying up the game in the bottom of the ninth at 1-1. 

The Capitales would score in the top of the tenth with a sacrifice fly from Glaude. 

However, Sussex County would walk it off in the bottom of the tenth with Carson McCurdy tying up the game with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-2 and then Quiroz grounding out to the shortstop and the Capitales making an error to allow the winning run to score.

Robert Klinchock would get the win for Sussex County while Samuel Adams would get charged with the loss for Quebec. 

Florence vs Washington

The Washington Wild Things (26-14) hosted the Florence Y'alls(17-21) to begin a three-game series at Wild Things Park Tuesday night. Andrew Czech played hero, hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning to guide the Wild Things to a 2-1 win. 

Both teams struck early following first pitch. Harrison DiNicola homered as the game's third batter to give Florence an early 1-0 lead. The Wild Things answered their first trip to the plate in the bottom half when Nick Ward walked, went to third on an error on a failed pickoff and scored on a Wagner Lagrange RBI double. A pitcher's duel ensued following each team's first chance in the batter's box. 

Washington starting pitcher Kobe Foster was stellar for the Things. Foster did not allow a hit following the DiNicola solo home run. The right-hander worked around runners on the basepath the entire night, walking five batters and striking out six in five innings pitched. Righty Christian James followed and delivered two scoreless innings of his own, allowing two base runners on a walk and hit-by-pitch and got the win.

Despite the quality pitching, the Washington bats were quiet until the seventh. Two pitches after Andres Sthormes left the game, Czech left the yard. The Wild Things' first baseman drove in the first run since the bottom of the first, smashing a ball just fair inside the right-field foul pole. Washington took the lead for the first time 2-1 and never relegated it back.

Manager Tom Vaeth called upon left-hander Kenny Pierson to pitch the eighth. Pierson struck out the first two batters he faced looking but allowed a two-out bloop double to Alberti Chavez and a free pass despite drawing the count full on DiNicola. Eric Mock, in only his third appearance, walked Brennan Price to load the bases. He induced a ground ball to the next hitter and snuck out of the jam. Lukas Young hit the first batter he faced but locked down his seventh save of the season to hold on for the win. 

Washington limited Florence to only one run on two hits, but did walk eight and hit two batters while recording two runs on seven hits of its own.

Schaumburg vs Lake Erie

Erik Martinez retired 18 of the first 19 batters as the Schaumburg Boomers(17-21) held off the Lake Erie Crushers(17-23) to win the opener of a mid-week road series 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Martinez was staked at an early lead as the Boomers scored in the first inning without a hit. Brett Milazzo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to account for the game's first run. Martinez retired the first five batters of the game and then after a single from Kokko Figueiredo in the second, sat down the next 13.

The lead reached 2-0 with a run in the sixth when Milazzo tallied the third of four straight singles, but the Boomers left the bases loaded. Chase Dawson made it 3-0 with an RBI single in the seventh before Lake Erie plated a pair of unearned runs against Martinez in the seventh. The Boomers extended the lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the eighth, neither of which scored on a hit. Lake Erie's Connor Owings hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth but Darrell Thompson was able to shut the door on the win, notching a strikeout to end the game.

Martinez worked seven innings and allowed just three hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Kristian Scott bridged the gap to Thompson with a scoreless eighth.

The Boomers logged 10 hits in the win as all nine slots in the lineup reached base. Milazzo drove home two while Dawson, William Salas, Clint Hardy and DeBonville all notched two hits. Hardy also drew a pair of walks as the Boomers walked seven times and were hit by a pitch on three occasions. Alec Craig walked twice and stole two bases.

Joliet vs Evansville

Behind a stellar start from pitcher Justin Watland, the Evansville Otters (23-16) backed the right-hander to a 3-1 series-opening win Tuesday against the Joliet Slammers(21-20).

The game remained scoreless well into the fourth inning, with starters Watland and Turner Larkins impressing early. Both had limited the hitting parts of each offense to a single hit into the fourth. 

Evansville grabbed the lead in the fourth, as Steven Sensley followed a Zach Biermann double with a two-run home run. The home run was Sensley's ninth of the season.

The Otters cashed in on some insurance in the sixth, as J.R. Davis drove in Jeffrey Baez with an RBI double. 

Both starters exited the game after seven innings - and the Slammers finally found their way to the scoring category. 

After Augie Gallardo entered in the eighth, a leadoff walk worked around the bases on a passed ball and fielder's choice before scoring on a wild pitch. This would be the sole run Joliet managed in the game.

Logan Sawyer entered the game in the ninth and picked up his league-leading 11th save of the season as Evansville closed out the game, winning 3-1.

Watland finally found the win column again with an 11-strikeout outing where he did not allow a run, while giving up just one hit in seven full innings. The loss went to Larkins, who gave up three runs on six hits, walking eight and not surrendering a walk.

Watland's 11 strikeouts marked the second straight game Evansville had a starter reach double-digit strikeouts and the fifth time of the season.

Gateway vs Windy City

The Gateway Grizzlies (20-20) rallied late against the Windy City ThunderBolts (18-20) on Tuesday night, tying the game on a Jackson Pritchard home run in the eighth before scoring three times in the top of the tenth inning to win 4-2 in the series opener at Ozinga Field.  

The ballgame was a pitcher's duel deluxe between Windy City's Kenny Mathews and Gateway's Carson LaRue. Scoreless through the first three innings, it was the ThunderBolts who got to LaRue first on Joshuan Sandoval's RBI single in the bottom of the fourth. But the Gateway right-hander was able to strand the bases loaded that inning, holding the 'Bolts to just one run and keeping Gateway in the game. He would end up tossing seven innings in the game, and tying his career-high with eight strikeouts.  

Meanwhile, Gateway could not solve Mathews, as he permitted just two baserunners in his first seven innings of work. In the eighth, the southpaw also got the first two outs quickly, but hung a pitch that Pritchard hit over the left field fence for a game-tying home run to make it 1-1. 

Neither team scored in the ninth and the game went to extra innings. With the International Tiebreaker putting Jose Rosario on second base to start the inning, back-to-back errors by Jeff Heinrich at third base allowed Trevor Achenbach and Jay Prather to reach, loading the bases with none out. Cam Touchette then pinch-hit, and was struck by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run and make it 2-1. Clint Freeman then made it 3-1 on a sacrifice fly to center field, and Pritchard came up clutch again with an RBI double down the right field line for a 4-1 advantage. 

In the bottom of the frame, Windy City got a run back on an RBI single by Dan Robinson to make it 4-2 and put the tying run on base with the winning run coming to the plate, but Reed Hayesstruck out Jairus Richards swinging to end the game and give the Grizzlies their first win in extra innings this season.