STATEN ISLAND - For the second time this week, the Jamestown Jammers have lost a one-run decision in the New York-Pennsylvania League.
On Thursday night, the Jammers (6-11) got off to a good start by scoring a run produced by the first two batters in the game, but that was all they could muster in dropping a 2-1 verdict to the Staten Island Yankees (6-12).
On Monday, the Jammers came out second best to the Auburn Doubledays by the same 2-1 score.
Mason Hope (0-2) and Jacob Esch limited the Yankees to seven hits. However, the Staten Island foursome of Evan Rutckyj (2-1), Conor Mullee, Dietrich Enns and James Pazos held the Jammers to just four hits by the top two hitters.
Mullee never pitched to a batter as he hurt his arm warming up in the seventh inning.
The Jammers started off strong as leadoff hitter Yefri Perez smashed his third double of the season in the first off Rutckyj. Then, Pedro Mendoza singled him in for a 1-0 lead.
Hope made it stand up until the fourth inning when Saxon Butler, who came in batting at .356 pace, hit a solo home run to right field with two away.
The fifth inning proved be decisive as the winning run scored for Staten Island.
Isaias Tejeda doubled with one out and came home when Exicardo Cayones singled off first baseman Felix Munoz's glove.
Hope went five innings and allowed both runs followed by Esch for three innings of shutout relief in the loss.
Jamestown threatened in the sixth when Mendoza again singled and a pair of infield outs put him at third with two away. However, he stayed right there as Kentrell Dewitt fanned against Rutckyj.
Rutckyj worked the first six innings for the Yankees in giving up four hits while fanning four and walking one.
Mullee relieved in the seventh, but was taken out while warming up with Enns replacing him. Enns pitched two hitless innings and Pazos followed up with his first save by retiring the side in order in the ninth.
Perez and Mendoza had the two hits for the Jammers, who went 0-24 after the first two spots in the batting order.
The teams battle for the third and final time at 7 p.m. today. Then the Jammers are off to Brooklyn for three games Saturday through Monday.