Wilmington Conclude Final Game Against Jersey Shore With A 9-4 Loss
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (50-57) were defeated by the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (58-50) by a final score of 9-4 on Sunday, August 11, cementing their second consecutive series loss.
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (50-57) were defeated by the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (58-50) by a final score of 9-4 on Sunday, August 11, cementing their second consecutive series loss.
WIlmington starter Bryan Caceres made some early mistakes, and Jersey Shore was able to capitalize. The BlueClaws jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning following two crucial throwing errors and a wild pitch from Caceres, in addition to an RBI single by the Phillies’ No. 2 ranked prospect Aidan Miller, and they didn’t look back from that point forward.
In the top of the third, Keaton Anthony extended the lead with an RBI double that scored Miller. What followed was two RBI singles by Felix Reyes and Jared Thomas that made it 5-0 and forced Caceres out of the game.
After Jersey Shore added one more in the fourth, the Blue Rocks began to chip away in the bottom half of the inning with a Jared McKenzie RBI triple and a sacrifice fly by Murphy Stehly that cut the deficit to 6-2.
That score didn’t last long, as the BlueClaws put up another three-spot in the top of the fifth with a monster three-run bomb by Troy Schreffler, his seventh of the year. That made the score 9-2, and put the game mostly out of reach for Wilmington. Maxwell Romero Jr. added a two-run homer of his own in the sixth, but the Rocks’ offense was shut down after that.
Caceres only lasted 2 ⅔ innings despite only one of his five runs allowed being earned. Tyler Schoff gave up six hits and four runs in 1 ⅔ innings of relief. Other than Schoff, the quartet of Mason Denaburg, Moises Diaz, Wander Arias, and Thomas Schultz combined for 4 ⅔ scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit and striking out four.
Phillip Glasser was the sole Blue Rock to record a multi-hit game, going 2-3 with a walk. McKenzie also stood out with his RBI triple, as did Romero Jr. with his home run and two RBIs.
As a result of this loss, the Blue Rocks end the season with a 7-17 record against the BlueClaws. Manager Mario Lisson’s team will look to bounce back next week when they kick off another six-game series at home against the Brooklyn Cyclones.