Delmarva Swept in Twinbill Finale

SALISBURY, Md. -- The Delmarva Shorebirds lost both games of a doubleheader on Tuesday at Perdue Stadium, with a high-scoring 8-5 defeat in the morning followed by a 1-0 shutout in the afternoon.

The opener started bright and early with a 10:35 a.m. first pitch in Salisbury. Augusta scored three unearned runs in the second inning after a fielding error extended the frame. Travious Relaford belted a three-run double for a 3-0 GreenJackets lead. In the bottom half, Jomar Reyes crushed a solo home run for Delmarva, his second of the year.

Augusta scored four more runs in the third inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Aramis Garcia. Delmarva started to chip away at the deficit, but could not overcome the 7-1 margin. In the fifth, Steve Wilkerson lined an RBI single, and Conor Bierfeldt pulled a two-run single through the hole at shortstop. A double play grounder stopped the rally short of erasing the GreenJackets' lead.

Delmarva scored another run in the sixth, after Jamill Moquete led off with a double. Two groundouts brought Moquete around, but the Shorebirds' offense could not muster anything more off the GreenJackets' bullpen. Matt Gage (2-1) earned the win for Augusta, while Carlos Alvarado locked up his fifth save. John Means took his first loss as a Shorebird.

In game two, the pitching dominated for both sides. Bennett Parry and Nathanael Santiago dueled to a stalemate until the fourth inning. Two doubles by Cristian Paulino and Andrew Cain brought across the only run of the afternoon game.

The Shorebirds' best chance came in the sixth inning. Guillermo Salas and Conor Bierfeldt each singled, and Santiago hit Jomar Reyes with a pitch to load the bases. GreenJackets' manager Nestor Rojas went to the bullpen to have left-hander Carlos Diaz face Riley Palmer. The strikeout ended the threat, protecting Augusta's 1-0 advantage.

Parry only allowed three hits in his five innings of work for Delmarva, but he suffered a loss in the pitchers' duel. Santiago struck out ten batters in 5 2/3 innings for Augusta, improving to 2-0. Reyes Moronta pitched a clean seventh inning for his second save.

The Shorebirds will try to snap their five-game losing skid when they travel to Greensboro on Thursday. Delmarva will play another doubleheader, making up a rainout from April 19th. Left-hander Brian Gonzalez (1-1, 5.60) will start game one for the Shorebirds on Thursday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C.