Etzel caps off huge week with walkoff as IronBirds win five out of six over Jersey Shore

By: Michael Marcantonini

The Aberdeen IronBirds capped off a thrilling homestand with five wins in six games over the Jersey Shore Blue Claws this past week, including their first walkoff win of the year in the series finale. The IronBirds moved to 11-10 on the season, just two games out of first place, and they lead the South Atlantic League in runs scored with the second-best run differential.

The IronBirds opened the series with a dominant 9-2 win in Game 1. The Birds got going with a run in the second inning, then scored eight more times between the fifth and seventh innings, behind a season-high five extra-base hits. Elio Prado came up to bat with the bases loaded in the fifth and ripped a bases-clearing double into the left field corner, then added another RBI double in the sixth. Tavian Josenberger went 3-for-4 with two RBI, Reed Trimble had two hits, and Jalen Vasquez blasted a two-run long ball in the seventh for his first career home run. Cameron Weston fired 4 2/3 shutout frames with five strikeouts to extend his scoreless streak to 15 1/3 innings before and end-of-week promotion to Double-A Bowie.

Aberdeen came right back with a 5-4 win in Game 2. The IronBirds never trailed in the game, but scored all five runs in the first three innings and held off a late Jersey Shore rally. Deivy Cruz stranded the tying run in scoring position in the top of the eighth, then struck out the side in order in the ninth. He retired all five batters he faced in his first save of the season. Levi Wells (six) and Preston Johnson (five) both logged a career-high in strikeouts and Horvath added two hits and two RBI, including an RBI triple in the third. The BlueClaws picked up their only win of the season, 1-0, in a true pitcher’s duel in Game 3. Jersey Shore starter Sam Aldegheri racked up a career-high 10 strikeouts, and allowed just one hit and no walks in five innings. The Claws scored the game’s only run with two outs in the eighth and stranded the tying run on base in the ninth. Four Birds pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and only two walks in the loss, including a career-high 4 2/3 innings from Jackson Baumeister. Ryan Higgins and Randy Florentino had Aberdeen’s only two hits.

The Birds flipped the script with a shutout of their own, 5-0, in Game 4. Juan Nunez and Moises Chace combined to allow just five hits with eight strikeouts in their second shutout win of the season. Nunez went a season-high five innings and Chace tossed the final four to earn his first save. Creed Willems hit his league-leading sixth homer, a three-run shot in the fourth inning, while Mac Horvath and Matthew Etzel each had two hits. The Birds followed the shutout win with a season-high 12 runs in their 12-7 victory in Game 5. Aberdeen led 6-2 after the two innings and pulled away with five runs in the fifth. Josenberger hit a triple, drove in three runs, scored three runs, and reached base safely four times. Etzel reached safely four times for the third time this season and added two RBI and two runs. Vasquez and Willems each posted two hits as well. Zach Fruit grinded through four innings of two-run ball and had five strikeouts.

After trailing from the fifth inning until they were down to their final out, the IronBirds scored four runs over the final two frames en route to their first walkoff win of the season. Matthew Etzel came to the plate with two outs in the ninth and the Birds down 6-5, with the tying run on second and the winning run on first. Etzel crushed a first-pitch fastball deep into the left-center field gap, both runners scored, and the Birds capped off the series with a 7-6 win. Etzel, who also smacked an opposite-field, solo homer in the eighth, finished the day 3-for-5 and went 8-for-21 with four walks in the series. Higgins and Florentino each had two hits and the IronBirds went 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Four Birds relievers combined to allow just one hit and one run in five innings with six strikeouts. Dominic Freeburger earned the win after he kept the deficit at just one run with a scoreless ninth inning.

The IronBirds head back out on the road for a six-game series in Brooklyn against the Cyclones from Tuesday through Sunday, April 30-May 5, before returning home for six games against the Hudson Valley Renegades from Tuesday, May 7 through Sunday, May 12. To purchase tickets and for more information about upcoming promotions, go to www.goironbirds.com.

Contact: Nate Laws, Manager, Marketing & Communications

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