Jackals capture USSSA Black Tie Bash

The Albany Jackals captured their second tournament of the fall season when they won the USSSA Black Tie Bash Sunday in Sunnyvale.

Playing five games in less than 30 hours, the Jackals prevailed thanks to stellar pitching from a corps led by MVP Zach Chiang, almost flawless fielding and timely hitting.

In the championship game against the top seed Surf City Buckeyes, Chiang recorded 18 straight outs after giving up an infield single to open the game. Jesse Santos came on in the seventh inning and got out of a two-on, no-outs jam with a groundout and two strikeouts to preserve the 3-0 shutout win.

Chiang, who had pitched a complete game victory over the Phantoms on Saturday, and Santos combined for a two-hitter. In the semifinal, Ryan Masterson and Yanni Sarikakis threw a three-hitter to defeat the Belmont Bulldogs, 4-1. In the five games, Albany pitchers limited the opposition to 16 hits.

In the final, Chiang had the game-winning hit -- his second of the tournament -- driving home Paul Kennedy, who had doubled over the left fielder's head in the bottom of the second inning. Robbie Tenerowicz doubled home Sean Piedra in the third inning, and Kennedy added an insurance run in the sixth when he scored on a wild pitch.

The Jackals' record improved to 10-1-1 with the victory. They are ranked sixth in the country in this week's USSSA 15U Freshman AAA national power ratings.

ALBANY JACKALS
Zach Chiang (rf, p, 1b)
Garrett Freeberg (lf, cf)
Paul Kennedy (cf)
Marcellus Love (p, c, 3b)
Ryan Masterson (p, 1b)
Sean Piedra (p, rf)
Michael Rabin (2b)
Jesse Santos (ss, p, c)
Yanni Sarikakis (c, 1b, p)
Kyle Tannahill (2b, p)
Robbie Tenerowicz (3b, ss)
Patrick Xu (lf, 2b, p, ss)

BLACK TIE BASH

Pool Play
Sept. 20 in Sunnyvale, Calif.
East Bay Lookouts 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 - 3 2 2
Albany Jackals ..... 3 0 0 1 2 0 x - 6 9 1
Piedra, Love (4), Santos (4) and Sarikakis.
WP-Santos (1-0).
Hitting: Piedra 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 triples, Kennedy 1-2, 2 RBI.
Gamewinning RBI: Freeberg (1).

Sept. 20 in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Albany Jackals ..... 0 3 3 0 3 - 9 6 0
Phantoms .............. 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 3 3
Chiang and Love.
WP-Chiang (1-0).
Hitting: Santos 1-1, 2 R, double, Sarikakis, 1-1, 2 R, RBI, double, Kennedy 1-2, 3 RBI, 2-run home run, Chiang 1-2, 2 R, RBI, double.
Sacrifice flies: Kennedy
Gamewinning RBI: Chiang (1).

Sept. 20 in Sunnyvale, Calif.
ASA Warriors .....   2 0 1 0 2 3 - 8  6 5
Albany Jackals ..... 0 0 1 0 3 4 - 8 12 4
Tanahill, Xu (5), Love (6) and Santos.
Hitting: Tenerowicz 3-4, 1 RBI, 2 doubles, Rabin 2-3, Sarikakis 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 doubles, Xu 1-2, 2 R, Santos 1-2, double, Kennedy, 1-3, RBI, double, Xu 0-2, 2 R.
Sacrifices: Xu.

Semifinal
Sept. 21 in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Belmont Bulldogs 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 3 0
Albany Jackals ... 0 2 2 0 0 0 x - 4 9 1
Masterson, Sarikakis (4) and Love.
WP-Masterson (3-1).
Hitting: Santos, 2-2, Sarikakis, 2-3, double, Piedra 2-4.
Gamewinning RBI: Kennedy (3).

Final
Sept. 21 in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Surf City Buckeyes  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 0
Albany Jackals .....   0 1 1 0 0 1 x - 3 8 0
Chiang, Santos (7) and Love.
WP-Chiang (2-0). Save-Santos (3).
Hitting: Chiang 2-2, RBI, Kennedy 1-2, 2 R, double, Tenerowicz 1-3, RBI, double.
Sacrifices: Xu.
Gamewinning RBI: Chiang (2).

Jackals reach semifinals at Hardtke Classic Series

The Albany Jackals' six-game winning streak ended when they fell to the ASA Warriors, 10-5, in the semifinals of the Hardtke Classic Series.

The loss came a day after the Jackals had beaten the Warriors, 9-6, and the Indians Baseball Club, 12-6, to claim the No. 2 seed in the five-team tournament.

ALBANY JACKALS
Zach Chiang (rf, p, 1b)
Matt Cobley (p, 1b)
Nathan Gill (3b, p, rf)
Paul Kennedy (cf)
Marcellus Love (c)
Ryan Masterson (1b, 3b, p)
Michael Rabin (2b, lf)
Jesse Santos (ss, p, c, lf)
Yanni Sarikakis (1b, p)
Kyle Tannahill (2b, rf)
Robbie Tenerowicz (3b, ss, lf)
Patrick Xu (lf, 2b, ss)

HARDTKE CLASSIC SERIES

Pool Play
Sept. 6 in Campbell
Albany Jackals  3 0 0 5 1 - 9 8 1
ASA Warriors    1 0 0 4 1 - 6 7 1
Cobley, Santos (4) and Love.
WP-Cobley (1-0). Save-Santos (2).
Hitting: Cobley 2-2, RBI, double, Santos 1-2, 2 RBI, Xu 1-2, 2 R.
Sacrifices: Chiang, Love.
Sacrifice flies: Santos.
Gamewinning RBI: Santos (1).

Sept. 6 in Campbell
Albany Jackals ..........  3 0 0 3 0 0 6 - 12 14 2
Indians Baseball Club   1 1 0 0 1 2 1 -  6 10 5
Gill, Chiang (7) and Love, Santos (4).
WP-Gill (1-0).
Hitting: Santos 4-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, 3-run double, 1-run double, Gill 3-3, R, 3 RBI, Kennedy 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2-run triple, Masterson 2-4, 2 R, double, Tenerowicz 1-3, 2 R, RBI, Xu 1-3, 2 R.
Gamewinning RBI: Santos (2).

Semifinals
Sept. 7 in Campbell
ASA Warriors    1 0 0 0 8 1 - 10 9 5
Albany Jackals 2 0 2 0 0 1 -   5 4 4
Masterson, Sarikakis (5) and Love.
LP-Masterson (2-1).
Hitting: Tenerowicz 2-3, 2 R, Masterson 1-3, 2 R.