'Birds Falter Late to Suns
July 7, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
SALISBURY, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds failed to complete their sweep of the Hagerstown Suns as they stumbled down the stretch in 5-4 loss on Sunday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.
With one away in the ninth and the game tied at 4-4, the Suns (6-12, 36-52) mounted a rally. Drew Mendoza flared a single to left for Hagerstown and then moved to third when Jacob Rhinesmith yanked a double into the right field corner. Israel Pineda then chopped a ball up the middle, allowing Mendoza to score the game-winning run.
Jacob Howell (1-1) earned the win in relief for Hagerstown. Howell fired two scoreless innings and allowed just one hit en route to finishing off the ballgame. Jhon Peluffo (1-2) was saddled with the loss for the Shorebirds (13-5, 61-26). In his one inning, Peluffo allowed one run on two hits.
Hagerstown got on the board first for the second straight game. Pineda began the second with a single and Kyle Marinconz followed with a base knock of his own. After a popup, Nic Perkins worked a walk to load the bases. Phil Caulfield lashed a single to right to score Pineda and give the Suns the first run of the game. Rafael Bautista then gave the Suns a 2-0 cushion when he rolled out to short for a run scoring fielder's choice.
The Shorebirds answered with a run in the third. Robert Neustrom roped a double to right to begin the inning. After a groundout, Cadyn Grenier nubbed a swinging bunt up the third baseline for a single, moving Neustrom to third. Nick Horvath followed by ripping a double into the left field corner to score Neustrom and make it a 2-1 game.
A run in the fourth restored the lead to two for the Suns. Rafael Bautista cracked a single to with one away and then swiped second base and moved to third on a groundout. Bautista then came home to score on an error pushing Hagerstown ahead 3-1.
Delmarva clipped it back to a one-run game in the fifth. Jaylen Ferguson lashed a single to open the inning and after a flyout stole second base. Following a flyout, Jean Carlos Encarnacion smoked an RBI double down the left field line making it a one-run game once more.
In the sixth, the Shorebirds took their first lead of the game. Alexis Torres and Cody Roberts both singled to begin the inning. Following a strikeout, Ferguson rifled a triple to right center, scoring Torres and Roberts, and giving Delmarva a 4-3 lead.
Searching for an insurance run in the seventh, the Shorebirds put two on with one out when Roberts knocked a single to left but Ben Breazeale was thrown out at the plate by Justin Connell. Connell again threw out a would-be Shorebird run at the plate in the eighth, nabbing Grenier for the final out of that frame.
Hagerstown took that momentum of the out at the plate into the eighth. Marinconz knocked a leadoff single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a pop out, Caufiled beat out an infield single to first where the throw to the pitcher Felix Bautista covering was dropped, allowing Marinconz to race around third and score to set up Hagerstown's rally in the ninth.
Torres notched his second straight three-hit game for the Shorebirds, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. In addition to his two-run triple, Ferguson added a single to go 2-for-5. Neustrom also went 2-for-5, swatting a double and scoring a run. Roberts had two hits for the second consecutive night, going 2-for-4.
Marinconz lead Hagerstown, finishing 2-for-5 with two runs scored while Phil Caulfield was productive out of the No. 9 slot in the order, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Matt Hammonds started for Delmarva but did not factor into the decision. Hammonds went three innings, allowing two runs on three hits and five walks, while striking out two.
Hagerstown's Jackson Stoeckinger was also a non-factor in the decision after going 4.2 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits, while walking one and striking out four.
After an off-day on Monday, the Shorebirds hit the road for a short three-game set with the West Virginia Power beginning on Tuesday. Delmarva has not determined its starter for the opener while West Virginia goes with Josias De Los Santos (1-5, 5.36 ERA). First pitch at Appalachian Power Park is set for 7:05 p.m. and 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 July 7, 2019
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