SAL1 Delmarva Shorebirds

Bierfeldt's Heroics Lift 'Birds in 9th, 7-6

Published on May 1, 2015 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release


SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The Delmarva Shorebirds mounted a thrilling comeback in the ninth inning, taking a 7-6 victory on a bases-clearing double by Conor Bierfeldt. Delmarva (12-8) was down to their final strike, and still managed to steal a series win on the road.

The game began perfectly for Delmarva with three runs in the opening moments. Bierfeldt slammed an RBI double off the left-center wall, and then Jamill Moquete crushed his third home run of the year. The Shorebirds scored another in the third on an infield single by Guillermo Salas, taking a 4-0 lead.

Savannah responded with six unanswered runs, capitalizing off a few Shorebirds' miscues. Two errors committed in the third allowed two unearned runs to come across off starter John Means. In the fourth, the Sand Gnats tied the game with an RBI double by Wuilmer Becerra, followed by an RBI single from Luis Guillorme.

Another error in the sixth inning set up a chance for the Sand Gnats. Savannah took their first lead on an RBI single by Pedro Perez. The hosts built a 6-4 advantage after an infield chop by Jonathan Johnson, scoring Perez.

David Roseboom kept Savannah in front with four incredible innings in relief. The Savannah lefty retired 11 of the 12 batters he faced, only surrendering an infield single that was erased with a caught stealing.

The Sand Gnats turned to closer Shane Bay in the ninth, and Delmarva blitzed the new lefty. A leadoff walk to Jared Breen started the rally. Back-to-back singles by Jay Gonzalez and Cam Kneeland loaded the bases with one out. After a fielder's choice, Bierfeldt stepped to the plate representing the Shorebirds' final hope. With two strikes, the cleanup hitter ripped a double into the left field corner, scoring all three baserunners for a 7-6 lead.

Tense moments arose in the bottom of the ninth as Savannah threatened to extend the game. The tying run reached on a wild pitch for strike three. After a sacrifice bunt, a cueshot to the mound allowed John Mora to reach on an infield single. A hit batter loaded the bases with two outs, bringing up John Leroux. The Sand Gnats' designated hitter sent a bouncer up the middle, but Salas ranged to his right and flipped to Breen for the force out to close out the win.

Stefan Crichton (1-1) earned the win for Delmarva, allowing just two unearned runs in two innings of relief. Shane Bay took a blown save and loss for Savannah, while Donnie Hart improved to a perfect 5-for-5 in save opportunities for Delmarva.

The road trip continues in the Peach State as the Shorebirds visit the Augusta GreenJackets for a four-game series. Left-hander Bennett Parry (1-1, 1.76) starts the opener for Delmarva against right-hander Nathanael Santiago (1-0, 3.00) for Augusta. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm at Lake Olmstead Stadium on Friday night.

Check out the Delmarva Shorebirds Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



South Atlantic League Stories from May 1, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central