SALISBURY, MD - Despite another ninth-inning run to send the game into extras, the Intimidators came up empty in the win column in extra innings for the fourth time this season, dropping game three of the three-gamer with Delmarva, 2-1, Wednesday morning at Delmarva.In the first, the Intimidators missed out
SALISBURY, MD - Despite another ninth-inning run to send the game into extras, the Intimidators came up empty in the win column in extra innings for the fourth time this season, dropping game three of the three-gamer with Delmarva, 2-1, Wednesday morning at Delmarva.
In the first, the Intimidators missed out on an opportunity to score against Shorebirds' Blaine Knight, as Ian Dawkins led off the frame with a single after a six-pitch at-bat. Five pitches later, Ramon Beltre walked, putting runners at first and second with no outs.
Following back-to-back strikeouts from Steele Walker and Evan Skoug, Dawkins collected his sixth stolen base of the early season, but with an Amado Nunez strikeout, Dawkins remained stranded at third.
LHP Taylor Varnell of Kannapolis looked solid on the mound in front of a packed Education Day crowd in Maryland, as the Oral Roberts product struck out nine over 6.0 innings of work. Despite two of those nine strikeouts coming in the sixth inning, the Shorebirds tacked on their lone run through nine innings of play thanks to a Will Robertson single to left field, scoring Adam Hall for the game's first run.
With an almost perfect outing for Kannapolis' Vince Arobio in the seventh and eighth frames, striking out four batters and giving up only one hit, Alex Destino used that momentum to start off the ninth inning with a single for the Intimidators. With Lenyn Sosa replacing Destino as pinch runner at first base, Luis Curbelo grounded out to second base, allowing Sosa to reach second safely. Next up, Michael Hickman singled on a fly ball to left field, bringing in Sosa to tie the game, 1-1.
Later in the inning, Delmarva's Jhon Peluffo recorded one more out and hit two-straight to put one at every base for Skoug. On the first pitch after the mound visit, Peluffo got Skoug to roll out to first base to end the threat.
After two sharp innings for Andrew Perez on the mound for Kannapolis, the Intimidators relied on Bennett Sousa (L, 0-2) to hold off Delmarva in the 11th. After a sacrifice bunt, sending Doran Turchin to third, Andrew Fregia hit a line drive single up the middle to Walker, scoring Turchin to give the Shorebirds their three-game sweep of the Intimidators.
Kannapolis will return home for a three-game series with the Hagerstown Suns starting Thursday night at 7:00 p.m., as RHP Davis Martin will take the mound against Hagerstown's RHP Francys Peguero.
