Delmarva Pitching Strikes out 20 in Win Over Fredericksburg
Shorebirds Hold on to Take the Opener Against the Fred Nats
SALISBURY, MD: The Delmarva Shorebirds (17-29) opened their six-game series with a 5-3 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals (32-14) on Tuesday night.
Luke Dickerson put the Fred Nats on top early with a solo home run in the top of the first, making it 1-0 Fredericksburg.
Delmarva quickly came back and took the lead in the bottom of the second when Andrés Nolaya put the Shorebirds ahead with a two-run triple, making it 2-1.
DJ Layton (3) put two more on the board with a two-run homer in the next inning, giving Delmarva a 4-1 advantage.
After giving up an early home run, Christian Rodriguez dominated the Fred Nats, striking out a career-high nine batters and allowing only one run on two hits over four innings.
Fredericksburg began to battle back by scoring twice on a two-run homer by Juan Cruz (4), trimming Delmarva's lead to 4-3.
The Shorebirds manufactured an important insurance run in the bottom half when Enrique Bradfield Jr. scored on a wild pitch, putting Delmarva back up two at 5-3.
The Shorebirds' bullpen took care of business from there, as Brendan Parks, Jason Shockley, and Zac Lampton combined for 11 strikeouts, giving Delmarva a season-high 20 in a 5-3 win over the Fred Nats.
Brendan Parks (2-0) earned the win for Delmarva, while Zac Lampton (1) secured his first professional save. Fredericksburg starter Liam Sullivan (1-2) took the loss.
Delmarva goes for a second straight win over Fredericksburg on Wednesday, with Denton Biller taking the mound against Luke Johnson for the Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.