'Birds Knock Off 'Claws 7-5 Thursday Night

SALISBURY, MD - Delmarva held off several Lakewood rallies and after taking the lead in the bottom of the seventh, knocked off the BlueClaws 7-5 on Thursday night at Perdue Stadium. The Shorebirds took the lead on a seventh inning RBI double by Ademar Rifaela and the Delmarva bullpen slammed the door, giving Delmarva wins in each of the first three games of the four-game series.

The BlueClaws (3-5/36-40) have dropped four straight and fall to four-games under .500 for the first time all season. Delmarva (6-2/39-37) has won four straight games, seven straight against Lakewood and improved to 9-2 against the BlueClaws this year.

Trailing 5-2, the BlueClaws tied the game with three runs in the seventh inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Drew Stankiewicz drove in a run with a groundout and Herlis Rodriguez drove in a run bunting for a base hit. Scott Kingery then scored on a wild pitch which tied the game at 5.

Delmarva would then re-claim the lead in the bottom of the inning when Ademar Rifaela doubled home Riley Palmer off Matt Hockenberry to put Delmarva up 6-5. Palmer reached on a strikeout/passed ball and the run was unearned to Hockenberry, who took the loss to fall to 1-2 on the year.

Kyle Martin, Cord Sandberg, and Emmanuel Marrero all had two hits for the BlueClaws in the loss.

The BlueClaws took a 1-0 lead in the third on a Scott Kingery RBI single and Kyle Martin added an RBI single that tied the game at 2 in the top of the sixth.

The Shorebirds scored three times off Manaure Martinez in the bottom of the sixth, including the first home run of shortstop Jared Breen's career and a two-run double by TJ Olescuzk that put Delmarva up 5-2 before the BlueClaws made their rally.

Lakewood starter Ranfi Casimiro gave up two runs in five innings and got a no-decision. Delmarva starter Matthew Grimes allowed four runs in six innings and also got a no-decision.

Nigel Nootbar, who allowed one run, earned the win in relief, improving 2-1.

Delmarva's Steve Wilkerson was 4-4 with a walk, becoming the fourth BlueClaws opponent to record four hits in a game against the BlueClaws this year.

The series in Salisbury concludes on Friday night at 6:35 pm. RHP Chris Oliver (3-5) starts for Lakewood against LHP John Means (5-4).

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