Basallo, Prado stay hot while two walkoffs propel Birds to series victory over Blue Rocks

By: Michael Marcantonini

The Aberdeen IronBirds took four of six games from the Wilmington Blue Rocks this past week in Aberdeen in a series highlighted by two walkoff wins. All six games were decided by two runs or less with the last five decided by just one run.

The IronBirds broke out the bats early in Game 1 en route to an 8-6 win. The Birds led 7-0 after five innings and the Blue Rocks got within two runs late, but the Birds never trailed and held on. Ryan Higgins hit a solo home run while Samuel Basallo and Frederick Bencosme each had three hits and two RBI. Trace Bright started, pitched a career-high 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts, and earned the win, while Logan Rinehart picked up a four-out save.

Aberdeen followed with 5-4 win in Game 2 in a game that featured back-and-forth scoring throughout. Isaac De Leon (two-run) and Jacob Teter (solo) each hit a home run and Anthony Servideo brought home the eventual winning run with a two-out, bases-loaded walk on a full-count pitch in the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Virbitsky set the tone with five innings of one-run ball, six strikeouts and no walks, and Reese Sharp logged a scoreless ninth inning for his first High-A save. The Birds trailed by as many as four runs in Game 3, got within one run late, but Wilmington held on for a 7-6 win. Elio Prado and Basallo stole the show for the Birds at the top of the order and combined for seven hits and four runs. Prado went 3-for-4 with two doubles in his first three-hit game at High-A and Basallo went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer and an RBI double in his first career four-hit game. Yaqui Rivera looked great out of the bullpen with 3.1 scoreless frames and five strikeouts.

Game 4 was the most exciting game of the series. The IronBirds trailed 6-3 entering the bottom of the ninth and had no one on base with two outs, but the next five batters reached, and the Birds scored four runs to steal a 7-6 win over the Blue Rocks. Prado hit an RBI single to bring home the first run and two batters later, Bencosme hit a game-tying, two-run single to right field. After a pitching change, Bencosme stole both second and third, and Creed Willems finished the job with a walkoff RBI single to deep right. Jake Lyons tossed four strong innings in relief with four strikeouts and the Birds stole five bases, including four in the ninth.

The IronBirds kept the good vibes rolling in Game 5 with a 4-3 walkoff win in 10 innings for their eighth walkoff win of the season and second straight. Before the late-game drama, Willems smacked a game-tying, two-run homer and Teter crushed a go-ahead, solo homer in the sixth inning. The Birds didn’t score again until the 10th but the pitching staff locked it down, then Trendon Craig delivered a walkoff RBI single to right field. Trey McGough started for the Birds and retired 10 straight batters to end his four-inning rehab start, Daniel Lloyd followed with five innings of one-run ball and six strikeouts, and Dylan Heid fired a scoreless top of the 10th. Wilmington erased the Birds’ first-inning lead and scratched out a 4-3 win in Game 6. Carter Young collected two more hits, one from each side of the plate, and now has two hits in each of his first three games at High-A. Graham Firoved, Carson Carter and Rinehart combined for nine strikeouts and only one walk in six innings out of the bullpen.

The IronBirds will be back at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium from Tuesday, September 5th through Sunday the 10th to host the Greenville Drive in a six-game series on their final homestand of the regular season. For now, the IronBirds head north for a six-game road series against the Hudson Valley Renegades from Tuesday-Sunday, August 22-27 and follow that with six more on the road against the Jersey Shore Blue Claws from Tuesday-Sunday, August 29-September 3. To purchase tickets for the final six home games of 2023 and for more information on upcoming promotions and events, go to ironbirdsbaseball.com.