SALISBURY, MD - Holding a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Intimidators surrendered four runs in the frame against the Shorebirds, dropping game two Tuesday night, 4-6.After a pair of strikeouts for Intimidators' starter Jonathan Stiever and Shorebirds' Hector Guance in the first, Delmarva used
SALISBURY, MD - Holding a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Intimidators surrendered four runs in the frame against the Shorebirds, dropping game two Tuesday night, 4-6.
After a pair of strikeouts for Intimidators' starter Jonathan Stiever and Shorebirds' Hector Guance in the first, Delmarva used a Will Robertson solo homer in the second inning to take a slim lead.
One inning later, Cadyn Grenier reached on an eight-pitch walk with Stiever, stealing second base and advancing to third on a throwing error by catcher Gunnar Troutwine. After a seven-pitch at-bat with Robert Neustrom, Stiever induced a double play ball off the bat of JC Encarnacion, as Grenier scurried home for the game's second run.
Down 2-0 in the fourth inning, Evan Skoug and Troutwine led off the inning with walks, followed by a single on a fly ball to center field off the bat of Alex Destino. Following a mound visit and Luis Curbelo strikeout, Michael Hickman doubled on a fly ball to left field, scoring both Skoug and Troutwine to tie the game, 2-2. Next up, Ramon Beltre grounded out to second base with the infield back, allowing Destino to score the go-ahead run.
With Stiever exiting after 5.0 innings of four-hit ball, including scattering three walks and four strikeouts, Sam Long (H, 2) entered the game for the Intimidators, striking out three in the sixth inning. After clean innings for both sides in the seventh, Wilber Perez (L, 0-1)(BS, 1) walked three and allowed two hits, allowing Delmarva to take a 4-3 lead.
Manager Ryan Newman leaned on Bennett Sousa to get out the mess in the eighth, as Sousa got Seamus Curran to ground into a 3-6 fielder's choice, scoring Ben Breazeale from third. With runners at the corners for Delmarva, Sousa threw a wild pitch to the plate, bringing in the sixth and final run for the Shorebirds.
The Intimidators cut the lead to two in the ninth with a single from Steele Walker that scored Hickman from third base, who he reached on a double, but three strikeouts in the inning ended the night for Kannapolis.
Kannapolis will send LHP Taylor Varnell (1-1) to the mound against RHP Blaine Knight (1-0) of the Shorebirds for a 10:35 a.m. first pitch in Salisbury, MD.
