Late Comeback Falls Short, Titans Drop Finale to Jackals

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE

Ottawa, ON - Despite bringing the tying run to the plate in both the eighth and ninth innings, the Ottawa Titans (5-6) dropped a 9-6 decision to the New Jersey Jackals (4-7) on Thursday, falling in the series finale.

Making his first start for the Titans since August of 2022, Canadian left-hander Evan Grills (loss, 0-1) allowed three multi-run innings, as the home side fell behind 6-0 in the early going.

The Jackals took advantage of a pair of walks in the second - as with runners on the corners, a failed pick off play at first resulted in the ball tipping off the glove of first baseman Taylor Wright and down the right field line to score one. Before the inning was complete, an RBI single from Walner Espinal doubled the lead.

In the third, the Jackals registered two more - with an RBI groundout from Ryan Ford cashing in a leadoff Bryson Parks double - as Trevor Sheehan later added another with a single.

Joe Joe Rodriguez (win, 1-2) silenced the Titans offensively - as the right-hander got into the win column for the first time in 2025 with six scoreless innings.

The end of the night for Grills came in the fifth - as the Jackals scored two with the bases loaded on a fielder's choice and an error to make it 6-0.

In his return to the mound on Coventry Road, Grills allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits, walking four (plus one intentionally), and fanned six.

With the visitors up big and their bullpen in the game, right-hander Tommy Lawrence opened the door for a potential comeback by walking four in the eighth, spoiling the shutout bid. After a pitching change, Tucker Zdunich and Michael Fuhrman each scored one with sacrifice flies before an RBI single from Felix Valerio cut the deficit to 6-4.

In the ninth, the Jackals got some much-needed insurance against their former teammate Dazon Cole, who allowed three runs to make it 9-4.

Not wanting to go down without a fight, the Titans got a pair off Nick Trabacchi to make it 9-6 - as an error scored one off a hard-hit ball from Lamar Briggs, and Michael Fuhrman picked up his second RBI with a bloop single. Bringing the potential tying run to the plate with two outs, the Jackals' closer struck out Jonah Sebring to end the contest.

Felix Valerio, Taylor Wright, and Jonah Sebring each recorded two hits in the loss. Out of the bullpen, the Titans got an inning and two-thirds of scoreless baseball from Canadian Brandon Marklund, while Alfredo Villa and Billy Duby each recorded scoreless frames.

The Ottawa Titans continue their homestand with the first of a three-game series against the New York Boulders on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. from Ottawa Stadium. All the action can be heard on CKDJ 107.9 and live-streamed on Frontier League TV, powered by HomeTeam Network.

For information on Ottawa Titans’ 2025 Season Tickets, Group Outings, and Nine-Game Mini Packs, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.