RiverDogs Beat Shorebirds 7-4, Earn First Series Win

The Charleston RiverDogs led from start to finish in a 7-4 victory over the Delmarva Shorebirds on Sunday evening at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The victory was the team’s fourth of the six-game series, handing them their first series win of the campaign. Jake Christianson tossed 4.0 scoreless innings in his second career start, while the offense scored in six different innings. The game was played in front of a crowd of 6,023, the largest to watch a game at The Joe this season.

The RiverDogs started their Sunday in impressive fashion, scoring runs in each of their first four at-bats against Delmarva starter Jared Beck. The biggest inning was the first, in which the RiverDogs (17-22) took advantage of two errors to score two runs. Chandler Simpson started the inning by reaching on an infield single. Jared Beck then appeared to have Simpson picked off at first, but his throw was too tall for the first baseman and Simpson advanced all the way to third. With the first run 90 feet away, Xavier Isaac bounced a ball back to the mound that was knocked down by Beck. With Simpson charging down the line, Beck hurried the throw, and it was deflected to the backstop. Kamren James drove in Isaac before the inning ended to make it 2-0.

In the second, Odalys Peguero began the frame with a single and advanced to second on another errant pick-off throw by Beck. Simpson moved him to third with his second hit of the day. Dominic Keegan followed with a fly ball into foul territory that was caught up against the side wall by Luis Gonzalez. Peguero tagged from third and crossed the plate to make it 3-0. Carlos Colmenarez launched his first home run of the season in the third inning to add one to the advantage. Finally, Isaac scored Simpson with a base hit in the fourth to make it 5-0 and chase Beck from the game.

Delmarva (19-18) reached the board for the first time in the fifth inning against Jack Hartman. Elio Prado doubled with one out. An infield single from Carter Young that took a wicked hop as it neared Isaac, pushed Prado to third. Peguero picked up the deflected ball and tried to hurry a throw to first that was mishandled by Hartman at the bag. Prado raced home as a result of the error.

The RiverDogs went back up by five in the sixth with Cooper Kinney’s RBI single. Each team scored one run in the eighth, so the game entered the final frame with the RiverDogs leading 7-2.

Junior William hit Gonzalez with the first pitch of the ninth inning. An error by Peguero and a walk to Young loaded the bases with one out. Samuel Basallo drove in two runs with a base hit to right and, suddenly, the tying run was coming to the plate. William induced Anderson De Los Santos into a bouncer to third. Ryan Spikes fielded on a tough hop, stepped on the bag at third for a force out and fired to first to complete the game-ending double play.

The RiverDogs collected 12 hits in the victorious effort. Simpson, Keegan, Isaac and Colmenarez were responsible for two each. Delmarva was limited to just five hits.

Yoniel Curet earned the win by tossing 3.0 innings and allowing one run on one hit. He walked a pair and struck out a season-high six. William allowed two runs, one earned, in the ninth.

Ballpark Fun

The RiverDogs honored members of their “Reading Around the Bases” program in partnership with the Charleston County School District at Sunday’s contest. The successful readers from second grade classrooms around the county received a ticket to the game. Sullivan’s Island Elementary School read the most pages and had the opportunity to play kickball with players and staff members from the team.

Following a Monday off day, the RiverDogs will head to Segra Park in Columbia for a week-long battle with the Columbia Fireflies. LHP Kikito Severino (1-1, 5.75) will start the opening game of the series for the RiverDogs.