Lakewood Claws Past Birds 5-4
August 31, 2008 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
Lakewood scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead, an edge they would maintain through the finish to pick up their 80th victory on the season and guarantee themselves the best overall record in the SAL's Northern Division in 2008. While the BlueClaws will not participate in the postseason as a champion of an individual half, their resiliency and consistency, exemplified in Sunday evening's victory, will leave them atop the full-season standings after Monday's finale.
The Shorebirds jumped out to a 2-0 lead with three hits, including a pair of doubles by Paco Figueroa and Tyler Henson, in the first inning off BlueClaw starter Julian Sampson. With two outs, Anthony Martinez singled to drive in Henson and give the Birds the early two run advantage.
The quick start was promptly negated in the top of the second, however, when Lakewood scored a pair on three walks and two singles. They appeared on the verge of taking the lead with the bags full and one out, but Shorebird starter Luis Noel induced a 4-6-3 inning ending double play to escape further damage.
When the BlueClaws gained the first lead of the day with Derrick Mitchell's solo homer in the top of the fourth, it was also short-lived. In the bottom of the frame, back-to-back one-out singles by Wally Crancer and Robbie Widlansky put runners on the corners. Crancer would score on Victor Castillo's RBI ground-out, while Pedro Florimon contributed a two-out single to left-center field to plate Widlansky and re-take the lead for Delmarva, 4-3.
The see-saw affair continued in the fifth, though. First, Matt Rizotti led off with a solo homer off Andrew Schindling to tie the score at four. Two batters later, Tim Kennelly doubled and scored on Jay Miller's ground-out to second. With Lakewood up 5-4 after four and half innings, the second half of the ballgame was littered with goose eggs.
Lakewood's bullpen shut down the Shorebirds, as Zach Sterner and Jared Simon combined to blank the Birds over the final four frames. Florimon and Figueroa each singled with two outs in the last of the ninth, but Ryan Adams struck out to end the game.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 31, 2008
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- Two Home Runs by Pahuta Push Suns Past Captains - Hagerstown Suns
- BlueClaws crack 80 wins with 5-4 victory - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Power Fall in Slugfest Against Kannapolis - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Lakewood Claws Past Birds 5-4 - Delmarva Shorebirds
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- Drive Cruise Past Crawdads, 9-2 - Greenville Drive
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