COLUMBIA, SC - The Delmarva Shorebirds tied it with a two-out rally in the ninth inning but couldn't hold a lead in the 10th as the Columbia Fireflies pulled out a 5-4 win on Sunday afternoon at Spirit Communications Park.The Shorebirds (24-12) trailed 3-1 in the ninth and saw their
COLUMBIA, SC - The Delmarva Shorebirds tied it with a two-out rally in the ninth inning but couldn't hold a lead in the 10th as the Columbia Fireflies pulled out a 5-4 win on Sunday afternoon at Spirit Communications Park.
The Shorebirds (24-12) trailed 3-1 in the ninth and saw their first two men at the plate go down quietly. Then T.J. Nichting dropped a single into center, and Seamus Curran followed with a walk. Trevor Craport then muscled a bloop single into shallow right, scoring Nichting and moving Curran up to third. On a 1-2 pitch, Zach Jarrett smoked a liner into left field for a single, scoring Curran to tie the game at 3-3.
Delmarva took its first lead of the game in the top of the 10th on a Max Hogan RBI single. The Fireflies (19-17) made their move in the bottom of the 10th, though, to spoil the party. Raphael Gladu started at second base, then Hansel Moreno drew a walk. Jay Jabs laid down a perfect bunt to third base, and Craport rushed a barehand throw to first that sailed wide of the bag. Both Gladu and Moreno scored to walk it off for Columbia.
Trey Cobb (2-1) blew the save for the Fireflies but came away with the win after two innings of three-run (two earned), four-hit ball. Reed Hayes (0-1) took the loss after giving up two unearned runs in an inning-plus.
Neither side could find an offensive rhythm for the first six innings. The story on the mound for Delmarva was DL Hall, who delivered the best start of his career thus far. The Orioles' No. 4 prospect pitched a career-high five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out three. Hall faced one over the minimum, picking off Edgardo Fermin after a first-inning walk, and retired the final 12 in a row to face him.
Columbia, meanwhile, rode spot-starter Yeizo Campos to four scoreless innings; he allowed just two hits and struck out four. Taylor Henry then came in for three scoreless in relief.
The Shorebirds turned to Nick Vespi after Hall. Vespi tossed a scoreless sixth, but the Fireflies got to him in the seventh. Quinn Brodey drew a one-out walk, and Jeremy Vasquez dropped a hit-and-run single into right, advancing Brodey to third. Ali Sanchez then bounced a soft grounder to third base and Craport came home with the throw, but Brodey slid in ahead of the tag to break the scoreless deadlock. Matt Winaker followed with a walk to load the bases, and Gladu and Moreno followed with an RBI single and groundout, respectively, to put Columbia up 3-0.
Delmarva got a run back in the eighth inning on a Jarrett triple and Ryan Ripken RBI single, setting up the breakneck finish.
Nichting notched his fourth straight multi-hit game for the Shorebirds, going 2-for-4 with a run. Jarrett finished 2-for-4 with a triple, run, and RBI, and Ripken finished with two hits and drove in one.
Vasquez went 2-for-4 with a run and a second-inning double for the only hit off of Hall.
The loss was Delmarva's first in extra innings this season.
The Shorebirds and Fireflies square off again on Monday night. Michael Baumann (4-0, 1.74) is on the bump for Delmarva against Columbia's David Peterson (1-0, 2.28). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 with Will DeBoer on the call.
