Shorebirds' 5-run 2nd topples Grasshoppers

GREENSBORO, N.C. (August 24, 2018) -- Grasshoppers pitchers combined to strikeout a new season-high 14 batters, but the Shorebirds scored five runs in the second inning to run away with an 8-2 win on Friday night at First National Bank Field. Greensboro (23-34 Second Half, 57-69 Overall) dropped its fourth straight game as Delmarva out-hit the home team, 13-6.
Jean Carrillo drove in three runs to lead the Shorebirds, finishing 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Mason McCoy and Will Robertson each chipped in 3-hit games for Delmarva.
Grasshoppers starting pitcher Trevor Rogers struck out six batters in 4 and 2/3 innings of work, but the left-hander suffered the loss. Rogers (2-6) allowed six runs on eight hits with a walk before giving way to Brandon Miller, who worked through the seventh inning and fanned four. Gabriel Castellanos and Zach Wolf combined to strike out five batters over the final 2.0 innings of scoreless relief.  
Delmarva batted around in the top of the second inning, sending nine men to the plate in a 5-run frame to break a scoreless tie. With two men on base, Carrillo tripled for a 2-0 lead. Brandon Becker followed with a sacrifice fly to cash Carrillo on the inning's first out. Will Robertson and Cadyn Grenier each singled, setting up Zach Jarrett's 2-RBI double to cap the big inning.  
Greensboro got on the board in the bottom of the third when Connor Scott singled to score Jhonny Santos. Osiris Johnson later added a sac-fly to plate Denis Karas, cutting Delmarva's lead to 5-2.  
The Shorebirds pecked away with single tallies in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, building an 8-2 lead.  
Sam Castro smashed a leadoff home run (1) in the bottom of the ninth, but Delmarva reliever Max Knutson settled down and retired the following three batters to close the game. 
Shorebirds reliever Nick Gruener (1-0) earned the win with three scoreless innings in the fifth, sixth, and seventh while striking out three.  
The Grasshoppers' previous season-high of 13 strikeouts has been reached 10 times this season, most recently on August 15 at Greenville.
Greensboro has dropped its last four games and its last eight home games, including the first two of this 4-game series against Delmarva.
The Grasshoppers and Shorebirds are back at it on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. at First National Bank Field with gates opening at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are available online at gsohoppers.com.