Shorebirds Drop Suns 4-3 In Game Two
Moreland (1-2) struck out four and walked none in his third start with the Shorebirds to help them stop a four-game losing skid and improve to 24-34 and drop Hagerstown to 30-28 on the season. Bumbry hit his first homer as a Shorebird in his only at-bat of the day for a 4-3 lead before Hagerstown closed the gap with a run off Josh Dowdy in the ninth.
Three Delmarva relievers combined to limit a potent Hagerstown offense to three hits and one run over the final three innings. Pat Kantakevich, James Brandhorst and Dowdy pitched the seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively, with Dowdy picking up his seventh save in as many chances.
Left fielder Kieron Pope was 3-for-4 in the win with his second homer of the season, while Levi Corolus had a pair of hits.
The Suns jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Sandy Leon led off the frame with a single to right and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With one out and Francisco Soriano at the plate, Leon stole third and scored when the ball went into left field.
Pope tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the fourth. Pope launched a 2-2 pitched over the left-center field fence with out.
Hagerstown regained the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to left by Jeff Kobernus with one out. Eury Perez doubled to right and advanced to third on a balk by Moreland to setup the run-scoring fly out.
A two-run double to right-center field by Brian Conley vaulted the Shorebirds into the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Shortstop Garabez Rosa reached on an error with one out before second baseman Gary Helmick walked. Then Conley ripped a ground-rule double for the lead.
Perez led the Suns, going 2-for-2 with a run scored.
The Shorebirds and Suns play the third game of the series Monday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets and information, contact the Shorebirds' box office at (410) 219-3112. On the mound will be right-hander Bobby Bundy (0-3, 5.02). Hagerstown counters with lefty Josh Smoker (0-5, 6.63).