Shorebirds Trip up in Finale, 7-3 Loss

Published on August 29, 2015 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- The Delmarva Shorebirds got off to a slow start on Friday night, stumbling in the series finale to the Kannapolis Intimidators by a 7-3 final score. Delmarva surrendered five runs in the first inning and could not dig out of the early hole, unable to complete a series sweep.

Kannapolis jumped out to a hot start with five of the first six batters reaching against starter Matthew Grimes. Alexander Simon rolled an RBI grounder to shortstop, and Toby Thomas bounced a two-run single into left field. Both Mason Robbins and Cody Daily hit RBI doubles for a 5-0 lead. Daily's double was a grounder that struck Jomar Reyes after a high bounce, prompting the third baseman to exit the game.

Every time Delmarva started to chip away at the Intimidators' lead, Kannapolis responded. The Shorebirds scored twice in the fifth with Ademar Rifaela and Steve Wilkerson collecting RBIs. Kannapolis drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom half to build their lead back to 6-2.

In the eighth, Cam Kneeland belted an RBI double to cut into the Kannapolis lead again, then 6-3. Once more, the Intimidators answered with a sacrifice fly by Michael Suiter, set up by a three-base error. The Shorebirds' comeback attempts were continuously thwarted by Kannpolis, ending in a 7-3 final.

The Shorebirds' bullpen duo of Caleb Kellogg and Williams Louico pitched four innings, combining for two runs allowed on three hits, though only one run was earned.

Grimes settled in after his five-run first inning, surrendering just two infield singles after that. Still, Grimes received the loss to drop to 9-7, while Thad Lowry improved to 12-7 for Kannapolis. Brad Salgado recorded ten outs out of the Intimidators' bullpen for his sixth save.

Delmarva returns to Salisbury for their final homestand of the season, a five-game series against the Hickory Crawdads. Right-hander Lucas Long (2-3, 5.00) will start Saturday after being activated from the disabled list. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

South Atlantic League Stories from August 29, 2015

• Four-Run Sixth Propels Intimidators Past Suns - Hagerstown Suns
• Polo Leads Power to 8-1 Win over Legends - Lexington Legends
• Power wins 8-1 - Charleston Dirty Birds
• Pitching Dominates in 3-0 Shorebirds Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
• Trexler strikes out career-high nine over 4.0 relief IP - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
• Sand Gnats Shut Out 'Jackets 2-0 Saturday - Savannah Sand Gnats
• Tourists Find Their Stride on the Road - Asheville Tourists
• Drive Run Past Braves, 10-4 - Greenville Drive
• RiverDogs Bested by Tourists 5-2 in Series Opener - Charleston RiverDogs
• Two Runs Enough for Viza; Claws Win 2-1 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
• Early Inning Troubles Hurt Braves - Rome Emperors
• WV Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
• Gonzalez joins Kannapolis from AZL Sox - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
• Shorebirds Trip up in Finale, 7-3 Loss - Delmarva Shorebirds
• Late Heroics Power Crawdads to 5-4 Win - Hickory Crawdads

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Delmarva Shorebirds Stories

• Shorebirds Fall to Fred Nats in Series Finale
• Shorebirds Drop Third Straight Game to Fred Nats
• Delmarva's Offense Held in Check for Second Straight Night
• Delmarva's Offense Stymied by Fredericksburg in Defeat
• Shorebirds Settle the Score in Game 2 with Comeback Win over Fredericksburg