'Birds Fall into First Place Tie with Loss
April 23, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
SALISBURY, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds had company atop the SAL Northern Division by the end of Monday night as the surging Kannapolis Intimdators shut out the 'Birds 3-0 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Shorebirds and Intimidators are now both 12-6.
Blake Battenfield (1-1) led the Intimidators to their fifth straight win, tossing six scoreless two-hit innings. He walked one and struck out eight. Gray Fenter (2-1) took the loss for the Shorebirds, giving up a run on three hits in three innings out of the bullpen. He walked one and struck out six.
Jake Elliott earned his third hold with two scoreless, serving as a bridge to Jose Nin, who locked down his first save and Kannapolis' second clean sheet in the past three games.
Kannapolis broke the seal in the runs column in the top half of the fifth. Michael Hickman led off with a double, then a bunt single from Laz Rivera put men on the corners. Tyler Frost got plunked in the ankle to load the bases with one out. After a force at the plate, Luis Gonzalez eyed a five-pitch walk, forcing in Rivera to make it 1-0. Fenter kept the damage minimal, getting a strikeout and groundout to leave them loaded.
In the eighth, Justin Yurchak battled for a 10-pitch walk, and Nolan Brown laid down a bunt to get two men on. Anthony Villa then cracked a double into the right center gap, scoring both runners to give the game its final margin.
The Shorebirds, meanwhile, got a double from Kirvin Moesquit to lead off the game but little else offensively. They didn't get multiple runners on base until the bottom of the ninth when Zach Jarrett and T.J. Nichting notched back-to-back leadoff singles. That's as far as it would get, though, as Seamus Curran flew out to center, Will Robertson lined out at short, and Ryan Ripken skyed one out to left to end it.
Villa paced the Kannapolis attack, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Nichting's ninth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 10 games; he is batting .375 since April 13, and the 10-gamer is the fourth double-digit hitting streak of Nichting's young career.
Orioles' 2017 first-round pick DL Hall made his third start of the season, cruising through his set three innings. He allowed one hit and walked one while striking out two, an identical line to his Shorebird debut from April 9 against Hickory.
The Shorebirds look to get back in the series with the Intimidators on Tuesday night. Delmarva turns to Michael Baumann (2-0, 1.69), and Kannapolis counters with John Parke (2-0, 1.59). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 6:00. Tuesday is the first Bark in the Park game presented by Johnson-McKee Animal Hospital, as well as Town of Berlin Night presented by the Berlin Chamber of Commerce. Pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 with Will DeBoer on the call.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 23, 2018
- Intimidators Blank Shorebirds 3-0 to Take Sole Possession of First Place of Northern Division - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Boggetto's Four Hits Lead Suns to 9-1 Victory - Hagerstown Suns
- 'Birds Fall into First Place Tie with Loss - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Eight-Run Second Inning Dooms BlueClaws - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Yankees Recall Olivares to Charleston - Charleston RiverDogs
- Rain Postpones Monday's Game in Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
- Monday's Game against Rome Postponed - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Game Postponed, Double Header on Wednesday - Charleston Dirty Birds
- RiverDogs Homestand Opener Postponed Due to Rain - Charleston RiverDogs
- Lexington Legends and Asheville Tourists Postponed Due to Inclement Weather - Lexington Legends
- Monday's Tourists Game Versus Legends Postponed - Asheville Tourists
- Monday Night's Game Postponed - Hickory Crawdads
- West Virginia Power: Game Notes (April 23) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Mitchell Tabbed as South Atlantic League Player of the Week - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Zac Lowther Named SAL Pitcher of the Week - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Juan Soto Promoted to Potomac - Hagerstown Suns
- Capital City Baseball Classic Canceled - Columbia Fireflies
- When It Rains, It Pours - Augusta GreenJackets
- Monday's Reading All-Stars Celebration Game Postponed - Greenville Drive
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