HAGERSTOWN, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds scored four runs in the ninth inning to put a lock on their third sweep in their first four series, upending the Hagerstown Suns 8-4 on Wednesday afternoon at Municipal Stadium.Tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth, Trevor Craport worked his way on
HAGERSTOWN, MD - The Delmarva Shorebirds scored four runs in the ninth inning to put a lock on their third sweep in their first four series, upending the Hagerstown Suns 8-4 on Wednesday afternoon at Municipal Stadium.
Tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth, Trevor Craport worked his way on base with a one-out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Mason McCoy came up next and served a line drive into left for a single, scoring Craport to put the Shorebirds (11-2) back up 5-4.
McCoy's base knock opened the floodgates as T.J. Nichting followed with an RBI double of his own. Zach Jarrett worked out another walk, then after a flyout, Ben Breazeale tagged a gapper to left center for a two-out double, scoring Nichting and Jarrett to make it 8-4.
The Suns (3-10) made waves of their own in the bottom of the ninth. Aldrem Corredor led off with a hot shot single up the middle, then Kameron Esthay walked and Alex Flores was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with nobody out.
Stuck on a highwire, Delmarva's Alex Katz got Cole Freeman to hit a nubber back to him on the mound and tossed a shovel pass home to force out Corredor. He then went after 17-year-old Luis Garcia, striking him out on four pitches to put two away.
Up came Juan Soto, the defending SAL Player of the Week and league leader in nearly every offensive category. On a 3-2 pitch, Katz got Soto to fly out harmlessly to left. Jarrett made the squeeze at the top of the Municipal Stadium hill, and the Shorebirds skipped town with three straight wins in their pocket.
Katz (1-0) picked up his first win with two scoreless innings in relief. Max Engelbrekt (0-2) after giving up the four ninth-inning runs in just two-thirds of an inning.
The Shorebirds again jumped out to an early lead. Branden Becker walked to lead off the second, and Ryan Ripken singled to set the table. Craport then cracked a line drive to dead center for a two-run double. After a McCoy groundout sent Craport to third, Nichting brought the run home with a sac fly to make it 3-0.
Will Robertson doubled off the "Muni Monster" in center in the third and scored on a Seamus Curran single, putting the visitors up 4-0.
The Suns responded with a pair in the bottom of the fifth. Flores and Freeman drew back-to-back walks off Delmarva starter Michael Baumann, then Garcia slashed a triple into the right field corner to score both and make it 4-2. After a strikeout, Baumann's pitch to Anderson Franco scooted past Breazeale. Garcia broke for the plate but Breazeale recovered quickly, flipping to a boxing-out Baumann, who tagged out Garcia to end the inning.
In the seventh, Corredor worked a leadoff walk, then Esthay took Scott Burke deep with a line drive two-run homer to right, tying the game at 4-4. The Suns had a chance to go in front in the eighth, getting back-to-back one-out walks from Katz, but Nick Banks rolled into an around-the-horn double play to end the threat and set up the Shorebirds' big ninth.
McCoy finished the day 2-for-4 with a triple, run, and game-winning RBI for the Shorebirds. Nichting went 2-for-4 with a double, run and two RBIs, while Brazeale had a pair of hits and runs driven in, and Craport finished 1-for-3 with a double, two runs, and two RBIs.
Hagerstown managed just five hits on the afternoon with Garcia and Esthay each driving in a pair.
Baumann picked up his first no-decision of the year after allowing two runs on three hits in five innings, walking four and striking out five. The Suns' Jackson Tetreault allowed four runs in five innings in his own no-decision.
With a win, Delmarva is the first team in the minor leagues to 11 wins and has the best 13-game record of anyone in the minors.
The Shorebirds now return to Perdue Stadium for an eight-game homestand, beginning with four against Lakewood starting on Thursday night. In a rematch of last Thursday's matchup, Cameron Bishop (1-1, 2.08) for Delmarva squares off against the BlueClaws' Will Stewart (2-0, 0.00). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 6:00. Thursday is Maryland Pride Thursday at Perdue Stadium, as well as Kiss 95.9 Thirsty Thursday presented by University Village at Salisbury. Pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 with Will DeBoer on the call.
