BATAVIA - One of the longest games in the New York-Pennsylvania League history ended in heart-breaking fashion for the slumping Jamestown Jammers (3-8) on Thursday night at Dwyer Stadium.
The Jammers and the Batavia Muckdogs battled through 17 innings before a fifth error by Jammers proved costly in a 5-4 defeat that put the team at the bottom of the Pinckney Division.
The loss made it an 0-4 road trip and it was the sixth consecutive defeat for Jamestown, which was ahead by two runs in the 11th inning but couldn't hold the lead.
Batavia, which seemed to threaten each inning and stranded 18, won the game in the 17th inning on a fielding error by shortstop Yeison Hernandez with the bases loaded and two outs.
The winning rally started against Beau Wright (1-2) when with one out, Jonathen Keener singled and Matthew Young followed with a walk. Wright retired Roberto Reyes on strikes for the second out, but walked Garrett Wittels to fill the bases.
Wright got Steven Ramos to hit to Hernandez, who booted the ball and the winning run scored just prior to midnight.
In the 14th inning, Jamestown manager Angel Espada was ejected when he argued with plate umpire Clayton Hamm on balls and strikes. At the time, it put Batavia runners on first and second with no outs but Bryan Berglund got out of the mess.
The Jammers went ahead by a 4-2 score in the 11th inning with two runs as Matt Juengel's RBI triple scored Felix Munoz and Kentrell Dewitt's RBI double plated Juengel.
Frankie Reed couldn't hold the lead as pinch-hitter Garrett Wittels smashed a two-run triple to center field to tie the score and that was the way it stayed into the 17th inning.
See JAMMERS, Page C4
Corey Baker (1-2), the seventh pitcher for the Muckdogs, was outstanding in relief by hurling five innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts. He allowed only a single to Jesus Soloranzo and retired the last seven batters.
The Jammers were about to lose, 2-1, when they rallied to tie it in the ninth against Yunier Castillo. Soloranzo came up with a clutch two-out single that scored Hernandez.
Jamestown ended a 12-inning scoreless streak when Viosergy Rosa smashed a solo home run in the fourth inning against Kyle Barraclough. That was his first of the season and equalled last year's total of one.
The Jammers got superb pitching from starter Helpi Reyes with six innings of work in which he allowed an unearned run.
Sean Donatello pitched three innings of scoreless relief and the six Jamestown pitchers together recorded 16 strikeouts.
The Jammers hope to end the slide when taking on Batavia again today at 7:05 p.m. at Diethrick Park.