Dominant Bullpen Leads ‘Birds to Third Straight Over FredNats

FREDERICKSBURG, VA - Six stellar innings from the bullpen helped the Delmarva Shorebirds coast to a 7-2 victory over the Fredericksburg Nationals on Thursday night from the New Fredericksburg Ballpark.

It is the third win in a row for the Shorebirds (6-3) while the Nationals (0-9) continue to search for their first win of the season.

The Shorebirds had a lot of traffic on the basepaths early and finally pushed the first run of the game across in the top of the second. Doran Turchin singled to begin the frame and Trevor Kehe followed with a walk. After a strikeout, Hudson Haskin loaded the bases with a single to left. Darell Hernaiz then brough Turchin home with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 1-0 Delmarva.

The FredNats answered with a run in the bottom half of the second. Landon Dieterich doubled off the left center field fence to open the frame before Junior Martina stroked a single to right center to score Dieterich to tie the game at 1-1.

Three straight singles to begin the third brought home a run for Fredericksburg. Jake Boone grounded a single to right to open the frame before J.T Arruda legged out an infield knock. Allan Berríos then stroked a single to center, scoring Boone, and putting the Nationals up 2-1.

Two out magic vaulted the Shorebirds ahead in the top of the fourth. With one away Haskin ripped a single to right and Hernaiz followed by rolling a single to left. After a flyout, Jordan Westburg poked a double to left center to tie the game at 2-2. Jordan Cannon continued his hot hitting by following up with single to center, plating two and making it 4-2 Delmarva.

Trevor Kehe provided a little breathing room in the eighth for Delmarva as he belted a solo homer, his first of the year, to put the Shorebirds up 5-2.

In the ninth, Westburg doubled to open the inning and after a strikeout Cristopher Cespedes ripped a two-run homer to right, his first of the season, to extend the Shorebirds lead to 7-2.

The FredNats scratched home a run in the ninth thanks to an error, but Adam Stauffer slammed the door to secure the Shorebirds 7-3 win.

Jake Prizina (2-0) earned the win in relief for the Shorebirds. Prizina tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out one.

Mitchell Parker (0-1) is handed the loss for the FredNats. Parker struck out eight over 3.2 innings, but conceded three runs on six hits and four walks.

Stauffer earned his first save of the year, allowing just an unearned run on three hits while striking out four.

Four different Shorebirds collected multiple hits with Haskin leading the way going 3-for-4 with a run scored and stolen base, his fourth swipe of the series. In his Delmarva debut, Cespedes went 2-for-5 including his two-run homer.

Arruda had another two hit game for the FredNats, finishing 2-for-5 while both Berríos and Martina collected two hits and drove in a run apiece.

The Shorebirds and FredNats meet for game four of the series tomorrow, May 14, at 7:05 p.m. at the New Fredericksburg Ballpark. Noah Denoyer (0-0, 0.00) makes his second start of the year for the Shorebirds against Leif Strom (0-2, 23.14) for the Nationals.

ABOUT THE DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS

The Delmarva Shorebirds were founded in 1996 and have been the Class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles since 1997. The Shorebirds have won two South Atlantic League championships in 1997 and 2000 and were named the MiLB.com Minor League Team of the Year in 2019 after going 90-48 in the regular season. Based in Salisbury, Maryland, the Shorebirds are proud to represent the entire Delmarva Peninsula and have hosted two SAL All-Star Games in 1999 and2011. The Shorebirds are owned by 7th Inning Stretch, LP, based in Stockton,California headed by Chairman Tom Volpe and President Pat Filippone.