IronBirds' Dominant Pitching, Timely Hitting Secure Series Split vs. Renegades

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SAL Aberdeen IronBirds

IronBirds' Dominant Pitching, Timely Hitting Secure Series Split vs. Renegades

June 9, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Aberdeen IronBirds News Release


The Aberdeen IronBirds earned a series split over the Hudson Valley Renegades this past week thanks to a handful of dominant pitching performances and a scrappy lineup manufacturing runs in key spots. The IronBirds won the series opener, then the Renegades took the next three, before the IronBirds returned the favor by winning the final two games.

The IronBirds never trailed in the series-opening 3-2 win and held off a late Renegades rally, stranding the tying run in scoring position in the eighth before holding on to win in the ninth. The Renegades turned a corner after the Game 1 loss and strung together three straight big wins. Hudson Valley won Games 2-4 by a combined score of 25-3, but Aberdeen battled through that tough stretch. The IronBirds and Renegades packed a lot of drama into the final two games, which both ended in IronBirds wins.

The IronBirds found themselves trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth in Game 5 on Saturday, when they tied the game on a wild pitch. That run snapped a season-long 25-inning scoreless drought, and it sparked some late-inning magic. The game went to the 10th inning and after the Renegades plated a run in the top half, the IronBirds had to rally again. Down to their final out with the bases loaded, Griff O'Ferrall was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run, and a few pitches later, Jake Cunningham scored the winning run on a walkoff wild pitch in a 3-2 victory.

It all came down to Game 6 on Sunday, and the IronBirds were motivated to salvage a series split. Eccel Correa started for the IronBirds and tossed a career-high six and one-third shutout innings with no walks and only two hits allowed. With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Griff O'Ferrall crushed a go-ahead, leadoff home run over the left field wall. Later in the inning, Cunningham provided some insurance with a two-out, two-run double to deep right, and Zane Barnhart closed out the 4-1 win with a scoreless ninth. Austin Overn extended his season-long on-base streak to 10 games in a 3-for-3 effort that included a double, two singles and a walk for his second three-hit game of the season

The pitching staff has kept the IronBirds in games all season, and that theme continued throughout this series. In addition to Correa's gem, Aberdeen got strong outings from Blake Money, Luis De Leon and Juan Rojas. Money stacked up a career-high nine strikeouts across five and one-third innings in relief on Wednesday, De Leon gave up only one run in a season-high five frames in his start on Saturday, and Rojas earned his first win with four and two-thirds innings on just two runs in relief on Tuesday.

The IronBirds head back out on the road for a six-game series against the Jersey Shore Blue Claws this Tuesday through Sunday, June 10-15, for the final full series of the first half. The Birds then return to Ripken Stadium for six games against the Brooklyn Cyclones from Tuesday through Sunday, June 17-22. The first three games of that series count for the first-half standings, then the second half of the South Atlantic League season officially begins on Thursday, June 20. To purchase tickets and for more information about upcoming games, promotions and theme nights, head over to goironbirds.com.

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 9, 2025


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