Second Straight Shutout For Delmarva

Salisbury, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds continued their pitching dominance against the Augusta GreenJackets with another shutout victory, this one by a final score of 6-0. The Shorebirds (15-17) have won each of the first two games of the homestand without allowing a run.

On Thursday night, Mitch Horacek picked up right where Delmarva left off the previous night. The left-hander allowed only five hits in seven innings of work, at one time retiring eleven batters in a row. Augusta starter Keury Mella matched Horacek as another pitchers' duel commenced at Perdue Stadium.

The Shorebirds broke through in the fifth inning with a two-out rally. Mike Yastrzemski singled and then stole second base, his seventh steal of the year. Jeff Kemp delivered the game's first run with an RBI single to centerfield, as Yastrzemski scored from second base.

Delmarva bounced Keury Mella with three runs in the sixth inning. Mella hit Austin Wynns with a pitch, and then Conor Bierfeldt returned the favor by striking Mella with a line drive at the pitcher. With two runners aboard, Chance Sisco lined a single the other way to score Wynns. Sisco played in his first game since April 24th after returning from the disabled list. Justin Viele later drove home two more with a two-out single to make it 4-0.

The Shorebirds extended their lead to 6-0 with two more runs in the seventh inning. Wynns punched a two-out RBI single, and then Bierfeldt belted an RBI double to straight away center.

David Richardson worked a perfect eighth and ninth inning to finish off the shutout. Horacek earned his first victory of the season with seven scoreless innings. Keury Mella suffered the defeat for Augusta.

The Shorebirds will go for the series sweep over Augusta on Friday night. Right-hander Sebastian Vader (3-1, 3.06) will start for Delmarva against the GreenJackets' left-hander Carlos Diaz (3-2, 2.28) in the finale. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm at Perdue Stadium.