Errors Doom Shorebirds, 6-5 Loss

Salisbury, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds lost their first game of the current homestand by a 6-5 final on Sunday afternoon. The Lakewood BlueClaws took advantage of four Delmarva errors, including two unearned runs in the eighth inning to break a 4-4 tie.

Lakewood charged out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The rally began with an error by Drew Dosch, allowing Samuel Hiciano to reach. Wilmer Oberto and Jan Hernandez belted consecutive doubles to plate the game's first run. Lakewood scored twice more on an RBI grounder by J.P. Crawford and a well-executed squeeze bunt by Carlos Tocci.

Delmarva responded in the bottom of the fourth, but they left more runs on the table. Josh Hart drove home the Shorebirds' first tally on a sacrifice fly. With runners on second and third, Lakewood starter Mark Leiter, Jr. struck out Justin Viele to end the inning, keeping a 3-1 lead.

The BlueClaws reestablished a three-run advantage with a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning. Willians Astudillo brought home Crawford to make it a 4-1 Lakewood lead.

Shorebirds starter Austin Urban went five innings in the start, earning a no-decision. Urban allowed four runs total, two earned runs on seven hits.

Urban was let off the hook for the loss when Delmarva tied it up in the sixth inning. The Shorebirds used a two-out rally to plate three runs. Chance Sisco and Gregory Lorenzo each singled, followed by a flare double from Viele down the left field line. Mike Yastrzemski hammered a two-run double off the base of the wall in right-center. Lorenzo and Viele both scored to knot the game at 4-4.

Lakewood broke the deadlock with two unearned runs in the eighth inning. Astudillo singled off Williams Louico, who relieved Urban. Walding then bounced a grounder to second, but Viele kicked the ball into right field. The error helped Lakewood score on a subsequent sacrifice fly on a sliding catch by shortstop Jeff Kemp in shallow left field. Hiciano made it 6-4 with an RBI double later in the eighth.

The rally in the ninth inning came up just short, with the Shorebirds leaving the tying run on second base. Kemp sliced a double down the right field line to score Yastrzemski to cut the Lakewood lead to 6-5. Mancini walked to put the potential game-winning run aboard, but Austin Wynns flied out to center to end the game.

Delvi Francisco earned the win in relief for Lakewood, while Louico took the defeat for Delmarva. Cody Forsythe closed out the BlueClaws victory for his fifth save.

The Shorebirds and BlueClaws continue their four-game set on Monday evening. Shorebirds' ace Hunter Harvey (1-2, 1.69) will start against Lakewood right-hander Drew Anderson (1-2, 6.28). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm at Perdue Stadium.