RidgeYaks Best Shorebirds In 5-3 Win

SALEM Va. – Paced by Christian Foutch’s dominant start and Devin Futrell’s four scoreless in relief, the Salem RidgeYaks (2-1) picked up their first series win of the season in a 5-3 victory over the Delmarva Shorebirds (1-2) on Saturday evening at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Foutch tossed three hitless innings, allowing just one baserunner in his first professional start, while Futrell followed that up with four frames of one-hit ball, striking out six and walking just one.

That scoring got started early on. Salem struck first with a two-spot in the home half of the second, with Avinson Pinto scoring on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Yaks, and Stanley Tucker able to cross on a throwing error charged to Delmarva’s Andrés Nolaya.

Leading 2-0 as the game moved to the bottom of the fifth, catcher Luke Heyman then came through with his first professional hit. An RBI single laced through the left side put Salem up three, with the former Florida Gator adding much-needed insurance required down the stretch.

It wasn’t until an out into the seventh that Salem first surrendered a hit, with a DJ Layton one-out double serving as Delmarva’s first of just three garnered over the course of the night.

The RidgeYaks would eventually add two more insurance runs in the home half of the eighth, with a Frederik Jimenez RBI walk and Avinson Pinto scoring on a wild pitch pushing the lead to 5-0.

Though things got interesting later in the ninth, right-hander Griffin Kilander was able to slam the door with the game on the line, stranding two Delmarva baserunners with the tying run standing on first.

The RidgeYaks now enjoy two days off before returning to Salem Memorial Ballpark on Tuesday evening to start a six-game set with the Wilson Warbirds. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET for the first meeting between Salem and Wilson since 1972.

GAME NOTES:

• Luke Heyman picked up his first hit of his professional career
• Stanley Tucker is 3-for-6 to start his 2026 season
• Christian Foutch still has not surrendered a run in his professional career
• Devin Futrell appeared in relief for the first time in his professional career, having started all 17 games a season ago
• Salem’s three hits surrendered were a season-low
• Right-hander Harry Blum tossed a scoreless frame in his first professional appearance
• For the first time in the modern stats era (Since 2005), Salem has won the Opening Series in consecutive seasons (swept Delmarva last season on Opening Weekend)

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