Kjerstad Hits First Career Homer; ‘Birds Late Rally Falls Just Short in Loss to Hillcats

SALISBURY, MD – The Delmarva Shorebirds nearly overcame four double plays and 13 runners left on base in a 5-4 loss to the Lynchburg Hillcats on Friday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

The Shorebirds (0-1, 21-45) were looking to start the second half on the right foot, but ran into a Hillcats (1-0, 36-31) team running hot after clinching the Carolina League First Half Northern Division the night prior.

Lynchburg scored the first two runs of the game in the first after Luis Durango and Yordys Valdes both walked and executed a double steal to put men at second and third with nobody out. After a strikeout, Durango scored on a groundball that resulted in an error with Valdes going to third. Valdes scored the very next batter when Will Bartlett drove him in with a sacrifice fly.

The Shorebirds countered with a run in the fourth. Trendon Craig reached on catcher’s interference with one out and after a flyout, Isaac De León and Mishael Deson both walked. Anthony Servideo coaxed a third straight walk to force home a run and make it a 2-1 game.

The Hillcats restored their two run lead in the sixth. Valdes singled to start the frame and Isaiah Greene then walked. The two then pulled off a double steal with Valdes then scoring on a Junior Sanquintin groundball to make it 3-2.

Delmarva answered back though in the bottom of the sixth. Anthony Servideo roped an RBI single to cut it back to a one-run game.

Lynchburg tried to pull away in the eighth. Will Bartlett smacked an RBI double and Dayan Frias then drove him in with an RBI single to make it 5-2.

Heston Kjerstad began the ninth for the Shorebirds by swatting a solo homer, his first of the season, to get it back to a 5-3 game. After a walk, a single, and another walk, Deson grounded out to short to drive in a run and trim it to a one-run game. A groundout to first ended the game however, with the Shorebirds stranding the tying run at third and the winning run out at second.

Brian Eichhorn (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen for the Hillcats. Eichhorn allowed a run on two hits in 1.1 innings, walking one and striking out one.

Edgar Portes (0-2) absorbed a tough loss for the Shorebirds after a solid outing. Portes allowed just two runs (one earned) over five innings on just one hit and two walks, striking out four.

The Shorebirds continue their six-game against the Lynchburg Hillcats on Saturday, June 25 at Perdue Stadium. Darlin Alcantara (Debut) takes the mound for Delmarva against Reid Johnston (1-3, 2.96) for Lynchburg. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.TV and theshorebirds.com with Sam Jellinek on the call.

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 and 2011. The Shorebirds are owned by 7th Inning Stretch, LP, based in Stockton, California headed by Chairman Tom Volpe and President Pat Filippone.