Blue Rocks Open Series At Home With 6-2 Win Over Aberdeen

WILMINGTON, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks (4-12) kicked off their week-long homestand against the Aberdeen IronBirds (7-9) with a 6-2 win in the series opener on Tuesday, April 22.

After both teams exchanged zeros in the first, the Blue Rocks opened the scoring for the day in their half of the second. Brandon Pimentel got it started with a leadoff double that trickled into the right-center field gap, and then was brought home after a T.J. White’s looping RBI single..

The IronBirds threatened in the top of the third though, as Ryan Stafford found himself over at third base with just one out after a leadoff single and stolen base, but a great play on a comebacker from Rocks’ starting pitcher Alex Clemmey cut down the speeding Stafford at the plate and kept Wilmington up 1-0.

“Just have to be an athlete out there,” Clemmey said. “Making that play was huge. Kept the runner away from scoring and go out there, compete, make plays and win games.”

Then in the bottom of the fourth, Elijah Green added onto the lead in a big way, as he sent a 3-1 fastball from IronBirds starter Trey Gibson to dead center field for his third home run of the year, scoring Seaver King in the process.

But Aberdeen threatened once again in the fifth. After Clemmey got Anderson De Los Santos to fly out to left, a single and back-to-back walks ended the Nationals No. 5 overall prospect’s day, who allowed just two hits, five walks and struck out two over 4.1 innings. From there, Peyton Glavine was able to come in and get the first batter he faced to ground into a 4-6-3 to preserve the shutout.

“You just have to get after it and stay aggressive and let the defense work behind you,” Glavine said. “Got him on the fastball so he just beat it into the ground and let the infielders turn it behind me.”

Wilmington did more damage in the sixth, this time coming against the IronBirds’ bullpen as Trey Gibson's day was done after five innings, where he allowed three runs on three hits, two walks and struck out six.

The first guy out of the ‘pen was Alejandro Mendez, who walked the first three Blue Rocks he faced followed by a fielder’s choice and sacrifice fly to plate two Rocks and make it 5-0. After Mendez got Armando Cruz looking for the second out of the inning, Hayden Nierman entered the ballgame and was immediately greeted by Johnathon Thomas, who roped a RBI single into right field to put Wilmington up six.

Aberdeen finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the eighth after Jake Cunningham hit a two-run double that scored Aron Estrada and Austin Overn, who reached via a single and hit-by-pitch to provide the game’s final margin.

Six Blue Rocks recorded a hit, with Elijah Green leading the offensive charge with two hits and two RBI. Green, Pimentel and King all totalled two runs each as well.

The two teams will face off again tomorrow for the second game of this six-game series. First-pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.