Four Calling Wins In A Row For Wilmington

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (19-17) won their fourth consecutive game in walk-off fashion against the Aberdeen IronBirds (19-19) by a final score of 4-3 on Saturday, May 18 at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium.

Just like last night, Aberdeen was the team that struck first. The IronBirds kicked off the game with a solo home run by Matthew Etzel to get on the scoreboard quickly. In the very next inning, Mac Horvath ripped an RBI double down the left field line to extend Aberdeen’s lead to 2-0.

That was the point when the IronBirds’ offense halted, and when the Blue Rocks’ offense began to excel. The Rocks didn’t cross home until the bottom of the sixth, but in that frame, both Daylen Lile and Trey Harris III strung together back-to-back timely hits. Lile got it started with an RBI single, and Harris III followed in the very next at-bat with an RBI single of his own to tie the game at two.

The Rocks added a run in the bottom of the seventh to take a 3-2 lead, as Viandel Pena came through with his second RBI of the series on a single. Aberdeen didn’t go down lightly though, as they responded immediately in the top half of the eighth on a double by Carter Young to knot it up at three.

The tie game leaked into the tenth inning, but the Rocks made sure it would end there. With Lile on second base, Branden Boissiere stepped up to the plate and whacked a single into left field, one that allowed the hustling Lile to speed around third and head home unscathed to secure the 4-3 victory.

Wilmington starter Jose Atencio settled in after a two-run first inning, as the 22-year-old ended his High-A debut with five innings, six hits, two runs and four strikeouts. The bullpen stepped up once again, led by Matt Cronin who allowed just one baserunner in two innings, and Marquis Grissom Jr. who recorded the 2 ⅓ inning save.

At the plate, Pena and Paul Witt both recorded multi-hit games. Phillip Glasser reached base three times with one hit and two walks, Lile and Harris III came through with clutch RBIs for the second straight night, and Bossiere came through with the one that mattered most to win the game.

The Blue Rocks have now secured the series victory against the IronBirds and will look to lock up their fifth consecutive win on Sunday, May 19 in the sixth and final game of the divisional matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.