MOBILE, Ala. - The Suns saw their three game winning streak come to an end with a 9-3 loss to the Mobile BayBears on Sunday night at Hank Aaron Stadium.
The BayBears snapped a seven game losing streak with the win.
Jacksonville took the lead in the second inning against BayBears starter Mike Bolsinger when Kyle Jensen smashed a towering solo home run to left field to put the Suns up 1-0. According to Hank Aaron Stadium staff, the home run was the longest hit in Mobile this season. Jensen leads the Suns with 13 round trippers this season.
In the top of the third inning, after Suns pitcher Matthew Neil drew a walk, Jake Smolinski hit a two-run home run to increase the lead to 3-0. Smolinski has hit all three of his home runs in the second half of the season.
The BayBears got on the board in the home half of the third, when Chris Owings connected for a solo home run off of Matthew Neil to cut the Suns lead to 3-1. Neil tossed six innings allowing just that one run, and was in line for the win to snap his personal six-game losing streak.
Reliever Jordan Conley entered the game in the seventh, and allowed the first four BayBears batters to reach base. Ryan Strieby led off with a double, followed by a bad-hop single by David Nick to second. Rossmel Perez and Dan Kaczrowski followed with RBI singles, and a throwing error by catcher Jake Jefferies put Mobile ahead 4-3. Bobby Bramhall took over for Conley on the mound, and pinch hitter Vladimir Sutil drove in a run with a ground out to expand the BayBears lead to 5-3.
The BayBears tacked on four more runs in the eighth inning, when pinch hitter Kyle Greene hit a grand slam of off Bramhall to make the score 9-3. After not allowing a grand slam all season, the Suns have allowed one in two straight games.
Neither starter figured in the decision on Sunday night. Matthew Neil allowed one run on five hits in his six innings of work. He struck out six without walking a batter. Mike Bolsinger allowed three runs on five hits over six innings. Jordan Conley (1-3) allowed four runs on four hits in the loss. Eric Smith (2-0) pitched the seventh inning for Mobile to earn the win.
Game two of the series is Monday with the first pitch scheduled for
8:05 p.m. from Hank Aaron Stadium. RHP Bryan Evans (3-6, 4.15) will start for the Suns. RHP Brett Lorin (3-6, 4.73) will take the mound for the BayBears.
