SALISBURY, MD - Zac Lowther pitched another gem but the Delmarva Shorebirds only managed two hits behind him in a 2-1 loss to the Lakewood BlueClaws on Sunday afternoon at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.Connor Brogdon (1-1) started the pitching clinic for the BlueClaws (9-8), tossing six scoreless innings of one-hit
SALISBURY, MD - Zac Lowther pitched another gem but the Delmarva Shorebirds only managed two hits behind him in a 2-1 loss to the Lakewood BlueClaws on Sunday afternoon at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.
Connor Brogdon (1-1) started the pitching clinic for the BlueClaws (9-8), tossing six scoreless innings of one-hit ball. He walked three and struck out four.
Lowther (2-1) got stuck with the loss for the Shorebirds (12-5) despite giving up just one run on two hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out 11, giving him 31 strikeouts over his first 16 innings.
Addison Russ got the final four outs for the BlueClaws for his second save of the series and third overall.
Lowther retired the first 11 to face him, striking out the side in the first and third. After getting the first two outs of the fourth, Jake Scheiner hit a sharp grounder that deflected off the third base bag and into shallow left for a single. Scheiner then stole his way to second, and Quincy Nieporte dropped a bloop single into right field to bring him around and make it 1-0 Lakewood.
The run snapped a 14.2-inning scoreless streak to begin Lowther's season. The Orioles' No. 17 prospect had now allowed a run for his previous 18.2 innings dating back to his final start of 2017 for short-season Aberdeen.
Lakewood peeled off another run off Delmarva reliever Alex Katz in the sixth. With one out, Nick Maton lifted a flyball down the left field line, but Frank Crinella lost it in the sun and it fell near the chalk line for a double. Nieporte struck again two batters later, shooting a grounder through the left side to score Maton and make it 2-0.
The Shorebirds had an early chance in the first inning with men on the corners and one out, but Brogdon coaxed a double play grounder from Seamus Curran to get out of the jam. Brogdon proceeded to retire the next 13 to face him before Ben Breazeale led off the sixth with a walk. Delmarva got two men on when Brogdon walked another but could manage no more, going down empty as T.J. Nichting grounded into a force out.
Jonathan Hennigan took the baton from Brogdon in the seventh and promptly walked three straight Shorebirds, loading the bases with one out. Breazeale hit a grounder to short, though, and Lakewood was able to turn the 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam.
Crinella singled to lead off the eighth, the first Shorebird hit since Nichting's first-inning single. Kirvin Moesquit then bunted Crinella over to second, and a passed ball allowed him to scamper up to third. Branden Becker bounced a grounder to first base and the BlueClaws traded an out for a run, allowing Crinella to score to get the Shorebirds within 2-1.
Russ then came in and notched the final four outs of the game with ease.
Nieporte finished 2-for-4 with both of the BlueClaws' RBIs.
Crinella went 1-for-3 with a run and stolen base for the Shorebirds, while Nichting extended his hitting streak to nine games with a base-knock in the first.
The Shorebirds begin the back end of their eight-game homestand with the first of four against the Kannapolis Intimidators on Monday night. DL Hall (0-0, 1.80) gets the nod for Delmarva against Kannapolis' Blake Battenfield (0-1, 4.15). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 6:00. Monday is another 47 ABC $2 Buck Monday presented by Wicomico Heating & Air Conditioning. Pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 with Will DeBoer on the call.
