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SAL1 Delmarva Shorebirds

'Birds Storm Back for Extra-Inning Stunner

April 9, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release


KANNAPOLIS, NC - Down to their final out in the ninth, the Delmarva Shorebirds stormed back to force a 10th inning and dominated the extra frame, stunning the Kannapolis Intimidators 8-5 on Tuesday night at Intimidators Stadium.

Trailing 4-1 in the top of the ninth, Nick Horvath led off for the Shorebirds (3-1) and took first base after a third-strike wild pitch from Intimidators (3-2) closer Lane Ramsey. After two groundouts to advance Horvath to third, Adam Hall worked a full-count walk, bringing Robert Neustrom to the plate. On an 0-1 pitch, Neustrom cracked a deep fly ball to right field and over the 20-foot wall for a game-tying three-run homer. The blast was Neustrom's second of the season-opening road trip and tied the game at 4-4.

Kannapolis went quietly in the ninth to set up the Shorebirds' third extra-inning game in their first four of the year. In the 10th, JC Encranacion started on second base and immediately advanced to third on another Ramsey wild pitch. With the infield drawn in, Cadyn Grenier chopped a grounder over third and into left, scoring Encarnacion to put Delmarva up 5-4.

The Shorebirds prolonged Ramsey's implosion as Ben Breazeale followed with a single of his own, allowing Grenier to take third. Another wild pitch let Breazeale advance to second, and Will Robertson walked to load the bases. Grenier and Breazeale both scored when Ramsey pitches got away from catcher Gunnar Troutwine. Then with two out and Robertson on third, Branden Becker served a liner into center, chasing home the fourth run of the 10th to make it 8-4 Delmarva.

The Intimidators got one back in the bottom of the 10th on a two-out RBI infield single by Ian Dawkins, but Tim Naughton shut down the deflated home side to finish off the victory, assuring the Shorebirds of a winning record in their first road trip of the season.

Nick Vespi (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Shorebirds, allowing one run on two hits in four innings, walking one and striking out four. Ramsey (0-1) suffered the blown save and 10th-inning meltdown for the Intimidators, allowing seven runs (six earned) on four hits in 1.2 frames.

The teams traded a run each in the opening frame. Hall led off the ballgame with a first-pitch single and stole his way to second. Two batters later, Encarnacion hit a routine grounder to third, but Bryce Bush's throw sailed over the bag and into the first base seats, allowing Hall to walk in with the first Shorebird run.

Steele Walker got the Intimidators going in the home half of the first with a two-out double, and Bush lined a pitch off the handle of his bat into center for an RBI single to tie it at 1-1.

From there the two starting pitchers began racking up strikeouts. Delmarva's Ofelky Peralta made the first out of the game on a bunt back to the mound and then got 10 straight outs via the K. He exited after 3.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits while walking one and striking out 10 over 74 pitches. Shorebirds pitching on the day struck out 18 Kannapolis hitters, accounting for 60 percent of their 30 total outs.

The Intimidators' Kade McClure dominated in his own right over four innings, striking out seven. He allowed just the unearned run on three hits and walked two.

Kannapolis saw an opening and took it in the bottom of the fifth. Troutwine and Lenn Sosa worked back-to-back leadoff walks, and two batters later Walker looped a single into right to load the bases. Bush chipped his own single into right to bring home Troutwine and put the Intimidators up 2-1. Amado Nunez then hit a sharp grounder down the third base line that seemed destined for the corner in left, but Andrew Fregia dove on it and threw Nunez out by a step. Sosa did score to make it 3-1, but Fregia's fancy glove work saved the Shorebirds from further damage.

The Intimidators got an insurance run in the eighth off Vespi as Dawkins doubled, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1. Evan Skoug followed with a triple but was stranded on third, setting up the dramatic Shorebird ninth.

Neustrom finished 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs to pace the Shorebird attack. Hall went 1-for-5 with a walk, stolen base, and two runs scored.

Bush went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs for the Intimidators. Walker finished 2-for-5 with a double and two runs, and Dawkins went 3-for-5 with a double, run, RBI, and three stolen bases.

Counting last season, the Shorebirds have now played four extra-inning games in their last five, going 3-1.

The Shorebirds close out their road trip with a Wednesday morning showdown against the Intimidators. Hector Guance (0-0, 0.00) gets his first start of the year for Delmarva against Kannapolis opening day man Jonathan Stiever (0-1, 15.00). First pitch is set for 10:35 a.m., and pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App beginning at 10:20 with Will DeBoer on the call.

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