Titans Swept in Doubleheader by Jackals

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE - GAME 1

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE - GAME 2

Paterson, NJ - Returning to the field for the first time since Sunday, the Ottawa Titans (2-3) fell in both ends of their doubleheader to the New Jersey Jackals (3-2) on Thursday - dropping game one 2-0 and game two 4-3.

Game 1 - New Jersey 2, Ottawa 0

In his first start of the season, Bryan Peña (loss, 0-1) dominated - going six innings, allowing two runs, on three hits, walking four, and striking out a season-high eight in the loss.

Having their chances offensively, the Titans were unsuccessful with runners in scoring position in the opener - going 0-for-6 as a club. It was headlined by leaving runners on the corners in the second, a runner at second in the fourth, and a runner 90 feet away at third in the sixth inning.

Making his professional debut - left-hander Jake Kuchmaner (win, 1-0) kept the Titans off the board with six innings of scoreless baseball.

The lone runs of the contest came off one swing of the bat in the fourth inning - as Camden Williamson took Peña over the right-centre field wall for a two-run blast.

In the seventh - the Titans threatened against closer Roniel Raudes (save, 1) by putting the tying run on base with a Taylor Wright pinch-hit double. However, Raudes and the Jackals escaped as AJ Wright grounded out to end the game.

Game 2 - New Jersey 4, Ottawa 3

Holding two separate leads - Frank Nigro's solo homer in the bottom of the sixth off Tyler Jandron (loss, 0-1) broke a 3-3 tie to help the Jackals to the sweep.

With veteran lefty Joe Testa (win, 1-0) in a rhythm - Michael Fuhrman broke the ice with a solo jack to centre in the third inning to give the Titans their first lead of the series.

The Jackals responded against Jandron in the bottom half - with three straight one-out hits - as Luis Acevedo drove in a Bryson Parks double with an RBI single.

In the fifth - the Titans used the long ball yet again - with Laz Rivera launching a two-run homer off Testa to left, putting the visitors ahead 3-1. For Rivera, it marked his first home run since 2022, when he was at Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox organization.

Rallying once again - Edwin Tavarez tied the score with a two-run double down the left-field line. The top four of the Jackals' lineup contributed eight of the ten hits in the nightcap of the twin bill.

The game stayed level until the last of the sixth - when Frank Nigro went the opposite way for a solo shot to put the Jackals ahead for good.

Attempting a late comeback - Jackie Urbaez stood at second with a double representing the tying run - but the Titans failed to cash in as Dazon Cole (save, 1) struck out the side to finish off the sweep.

The Ottawa Titans continue their season-opening road trip with the first of a three-game series against the Sussex County Miners on Friday evening at 7:05 p.m. from Skylands Stadium in Augusta, New Jersey. All the action can be heard on CKDJ 107.9 and 94,5 Unique FM and live-streamed on Flo Baseball. The Titans’ home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21 versus the Tri-City ValleyCats at Ottawa Stadium.

For information on season tickets, group outings, and nine-game mini packs, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.