Blue Rocks Barrage Leads To 12-7 Series Opening Win

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (30-34) scored in four straight innings to help propel them to a 12-7 victory over the Aberdeen IronBirds (33-31) on Tuesday, June 18.

Maxwell Romero Jr got the scoring started in the second inning with an RBI double, which scored Jeremy De La Rose and gave the Blue Rocks an early 1-0 lead.

Wilmington added an extra run in the bottom of the third after the newly acquired Joe Naranjo grounded into a 4-6-3 fielder’s choice to plate Elijah Nunez.

Then, the Rocks’ offense exploded for six runs in the fourth against IronBirds reliever Graham Firoved to make it an 8-0 game. Romero started the inning off with a home run, and then three batters later, Kevin Made brought TJ White home with an RBI single. After Naranjo walked to load the bases, Jared McKenzie brought both Viandel Pena and Made home with a two-run double. Gavin Dugas concluded the scoring for the inning with a two-run double to make it 8-0.

Wilmington tacked on two more in the fifth after Naranjo shot a ball through the left side to plate Nunez and Made.

Aberdeen got four back in their half of the sixth after an RBI single from Creed Willems and three-run home run from Carter Young to end Rodney Theophile’s night, who struck out a season-high 10 batters across his six innings of work.

After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, Wilmington cracked the scoreboard once again in the bottom of the seventh after an RBI triple from Viandel Pena and RBI double from Kevin Made to make it a 12-4 game.

An RBI single from Young and an RBI walk from Adam Retzbach in the eighth made it a 12-6 game and Reed Trimble scored on a wild pitch in the ninth to provide the game’s final margin.

Made, Naranjo, McKenzie, Dugas, and Romero all drove in two runs, while Nunez led the team in walks and runs scored with three each.

The two teams will square off again tomorrow, Wednesday, June 19 at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.