SAL1 Delmarva Shorebirds

Monaghan's 3 RBI Leads Birds Past Gnats 6-2

August 15, 2008 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release


Salisbury, Md.- With a vintage Luis Noel performance and an early barrage of offense, the Shorebirds soared past the Sand Gnats 6-2 on Friday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. Delmarva took advantage of some very shaky Savannah defense with some timely hitting in the first three innings, drilling Sand Gnat starter Maikel Cleto for six runs (four earned). Meanwhile, Noel dazzled through six shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out seven. The Shorebirds righthander retired the final five men he faced to earn his 10th win of the season, joining teammates Zach Britton and Sean Gleason with double digit victories.

Savannah finished the ballgame with more hits than Delmarva, but the Birds rounded the bases in a variety of ways en route to the triumph. In the first inning, leadoff hitter Matt Angle walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and came home on a grounder to third that Nick Garraputo threw errantly to first. An inning later, Cleto walked the leadoff man again. Paco Figueroa singled for the Shorebirds first hit of the game to put two runners on, both of whom would score on Brendan Monaghan's two run double that gave Delmarva a 3-0 lead.

In the third, after Ryan Adams reached on Savannah's third error of the game, Anthony Martinez jacked his second two-run homer in as many nights to give the Shorebirds a five run cushion. Later in the inning, Kieron Pope, who reached base thanks to a hit-by-pitch, came across on Monaghan's RBI ground out.

Over the final six innings of the ballgame, the Gnats out-hit the Birds 8-2, but the visitors did not score until a pair of tallies in the top of the ninth, breaking up the shutout but never were they able to bring the tying run to the plate.

The victory was Delmarva's 67th of the season, leaving them one win shy of their 2007 total with 17 games remaining in the season. Delmarva finished 68-68 a year ago.

Check out the Delmarva Shorebirds Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from August 15, 2008


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