Romero Homers for the Third Time This Week; ‘Birds Toppled 6-4 in Series Finale by Hillcats

SALISBURY, MD – The Delmarva Shorebirds couldn’t capitalize on multiple late inning opportunities to either tie the game or take the lead and eventually lost 6-4 to the Lynchburg Hillcats on Sunday afternoon at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

The loss saw the Shorebirds (22-46, 1-2) drop the six-game series to the Hillcats (2-1, 37-22) four games to two.

Delmarva started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Luis Valdez singled, his first of three base hits in the game, and then took second on a passed ball. Back-to-back groundouts moved Valdez around the diamond as he scored on Noelberth Romero’s groundout to short.

Lynchburg tied the game in the second when Jake Fox came through with a two-out RBI single, knotting the game at 1-1.

The Hillcats took the lead in the third as they capitalized on back-to-back walks to start the inning. After a flyout, an error on a groundball allowed a run to score, putting the Hillcats up 2-1.

Three more came in for Lynchburg in the fifth. Three straight RBI singles from Jorge Burgos, Richard Paz, and Junior Sanquintin made it 5-1.

The Shorebirds cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth when Heston Kjerstad laced an RBI single.

Lynchburg got that run back in the sixth after loading the bases to start the frame, Sanquintin drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Noelberth Romero kickstarted a potential Delmarva comeback with a two-run homer in the seventh, his seventh of the season, putting Delmarva down just 6-4.

The Shorebirds put the first two runners on in the eighth with walks, but stranded them aboard as Lynchburg got out of the jam.

Valdez singled and Kjerstad doubled to start the ninth, putting the tying run at second, but again the Hillcats wriggled free of the jam and held on dealing the Shorebirds a 6-4 loss.

Damon Casetta-Stubbs (1-2) earned the win in relief for Lynchburg. Casetta-Stubbs went two innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out three.

Ryan Long (2-3) suffered the loss for Delmarva, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk.

Hugo Villalobos racked up his second save of the year, working around the two hits to begin the ninth to post a scoreless frame, striking out two.

Following an off-day Monday, the Shorebirds kick off a six-game road series against the Fredericksburg Nationals on Tuesday, June 28 at Virginia Credit Union Stadium. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m. on 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.