RiverDogs Hang on Late as Delmarva's Comeback Hopes Die on Warning Track

Ryan Higgins' potential go-ahead home run was caught by left fielder Dru Baker on the warning track, allowing the Charleston RiverDogs to escape with a 10-9 win at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on Tuesday night. The Shorebirds cut into what had been a 10-2 RiverDogs lead by scoring seven runs in the final two frames as part of a furious rally.

The RiverDogs (27-13) entered the eighth inning holding the eight-run advantage. With one out, a walk to Trendon Craig issued by Victor Munoz started the comeback. Delmarva (15-25) followed with four consecutive hits to trim three runs off the deficit and still had two men on base. Brayan Hernandez brought in the final run of the inning with an RBI groundout, but Munoz struck out Moises Ramirez to end the inning with a 10-6 advantage intact.

Aneudy Cortorreal took over in the ninth inning and retired two of the first three batters with a walk in the middle. A Freddvil Chevez error on a groundball to first kept Delmarva alive and both runners scored on an ensuing single by Noelberth Romero. A two-strike RBI single off the bat of Issac De Leon made it 10-9 and put the tying run on base. The game-ending fly ball from Higgins occurred on the first pitch of the next at-bat.

The RiverDogs led comfortably most of the night thanks to a seven-run second inning. The first three runs of the stanza came as a result of back-to-back home runs from Bobby Seymour and Mason Auer. The bases were restocked when Jelfry Marte was hit by a pitch and Shane Sasaki walked. Carson Williams drove in the fourth run of the inning with an RBI single and Baker plated two more with a single of his own. The outfielder proceeded to steal second and third, putting him in position to score on a wild pitch. Delmarva starter Conor Grady lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on six hits.

The Shorebirds scored their first run in the third inning, but the RiverDogs pushed the margin wider on RBI singles from Baker and Auer in the fourth. Each team also scored a single run in the seventh inning.

Auer finished 3-4 with two runs batted in and was a double shy of a cycle. Williams, Baker and Vasquez added two hits each as Williams hitting streak reached 11 games and Auer's grew to nine. Isaac Bellony, Romero, De Leon and Higgins all had two hits for Delmarva in a game that featured 25 combined hits.

Sandy Gaston earned the win with 2.0 scoreless innings as the first man out of the bullpen. JJ Goss opened the contest by allowing one run on four hits in 4.0 innings. He struck out five. Munoz surrendered five runs, three of them earned, on five hits and two walks in 2.0 innings. All three of the runs allowed by Cortorreal in the ninth were of the unearned variety.

Ballpark Fun
The RiverDogs honored the state dog of South Carolina on Dog Day presented by Twisted Tea. Boykin Spaniels took part in a pre-game parade through the concourse and were featured in several games between innings throughout the evening.

The two teams get back to work on Wednesday night with a 7:05 p.m. game. Upper reserved tickets are just $5 with the code: WD0525 on Wicked Wednesday presented by Wicked Weed. LHP Antonio Jimenez (1-2, 3.49) will take his turn in the RiverDogs rotation with RHP Carter Baumler countering for Delmarva.

Single-game tickets are available for all RiverDogs home games at riverdogs.com. RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).