Jacksonville Beats West Tenn 5-4 in Eleven
Date Posted: 6/22/2005

Sergio Garcia's one out single in the top of the 11th inning off Jon Connolly (2-2) drove in Delwyn Young with the eventual winning run as the Jacksonville Suns defeated the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 5-4 in eleven innings before a crowd of 1841 fans at Pringles Park. The Suns won the game despite three of their starting position players getting thrown out of the game in the seventh inning.

Jacksonville took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a three run homer by Andy LaRoche. The home run came off LHP Sean Marshall who was making his 2005 Double-A Debut. Marshall wound up working five innings, giving up three runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

The Diamond Jaxx chipped away at the lead, getting single runs in the first, second and fourth innings before taking the lead in the fifth. Adam Greenberg hit a lead-off homer in the first and a RBI single in the second to pull the Diamond Jaxx to within a run. Brandon Sing led off the fourth inning with a home run over the left-field wall, tying the game at three. 3B Casey McGehee gave the Diamond Jaxx the lead at 4-3 with a two-out RBI single to center.

Jacksonville came back in the seventh inning to tie the game on a two-out RBI single by Garcia. Prior to the basehit, CF Todd Donovan, RF Jon Weber and 1B James Loney were all ejected from the game. Donovan was tossed for arguing a batted ball that was ruled fair. Weber was thrown out of the game for arguing balls and strikes and Loney was ejected for allegedly tossing a pine-tar stick at home plate umpire Josh Carlisle. Loney appeared to have been tossing the stick to teammate Delwyn Young, who was getting set to bat.

After Jacksonville took a 5-4 lead in the top of the eleventh, the Diamond Jaxx had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the 11th inning. With runners at first and second, pinch-hitter Jose Reyes hit a groundball into the hole at short. Jacksonville SS Joel Guzman had the ball go off his glove. Brandon Sing tried to score from second base but was thrown out on Guzman's throw to the plate. With runners at first and second with two men out, Jason Olson struckout pinch-hitter Richard Lewis to nail down his fifth save of the season. Olson saved the game for luis Gonzalez (7-1), who worked two scoreless innings.

Game three of the four game series takes place at 7:05 CDT on Thursday night at Pringles Park. RHP Ricky Nolasco (6-0 2.51) will get the start for the Diamond Jaxx. Jacksonville will counter with right-hander Justin Orenduff, who will be making his Double-A debut.