Aberdeen Ironbirds
Aberdeen Ironbirds Take On Hudson Valley Renegades in 2nd Game of Season
Aberdeen, MD. - Rain clouds can’t keep a good team down. The Aberdeen Ironbirds took on the Hudson Valley Renegades in the second game of the season, hopefully coming out with a win. The Ironbirds suffered their very first Opening Day shut out against the Renegades last night, falling 5-0 after 9 innings. Starting on the mound for the Ironbirds will be David Richardson, a right-handed pitcher who threw for 15 games last season, making 12 starts. Richardson threw for 54 strikeouts over 61.1 innings pitched and ended the season with a 5.58 ERA. The Renegades will counter with left-handed pitcher Chris Kirsch. Kirsch is making his debut with the Renegades after spending last season with Princeton, the Appalachian League affiliate for the Tampa Bay Rays. Kirsch ended with a 3.60 ERA and pitched a total of 10 innings, all in relief.
The Ironbirds put a quick end to the Renegades first at-bat and started off their own first inning with an RBI from outfielder Manny Hernandez. The Birds would leave one runner stranded at 2nd by the time the inning was done.
Oscar Hernandez started the 2nd inning at bat for the Renegades, but would ground out to the 2nd baseman, Jeff Kemp. 1st baseman Josh Alexander would bat next, also grounding out to Kemp. With 2 outs, Granden Goetzman would strikeout to retire the side.
Leading off the 2nd half of the 2nd inning for the Ironbirds would be Conor Bierfeldt would hit a fly ball to deep left center for a double, putting him in scoring position. Ironbirds catcher Scott Kalush would get a free trip to 1st base after being hit in the side by the pitch from Kirsch, bringing 2nd baseman Jeff Kemp to the plate. Kemp would ground out to the 2nd baseman, Ariel Soriano, but not before Conor Bierfeldt would score on an RBI. Outfielder Anthony Vega grounded out to the 1st baseman John Alexander, bringing up center fielder George Barber who would foul out to end the inning.
Center fielder James Harris would lead off the 3rd inning for the Renegades, but would strikeout swinging. 3rd baseman Daryl George would bat next and would send a grounder to center field for a base hit. Ryan McChesney, the designated hitter, would bat next. McChesney would hit a line drive towards 2nd base for a base hit, which would advance George to 3rd. Shortstop Jonathan Quińonez would bat next and would get a free base off a walk, loading the bases for the Renegades and bringing right fielder Ismel Antunez up to bat. With bases loaded and only one out on the board, Antunez would walk, walking in the Renegades 1st run of the game and bringing Soriano up to bat. Soriano would hit a chopper to the shortstop and drive in an unearned run. Oscar Hernandez would bat next and pop out to the shortstop for the 2nd out. Batting next, Alexander would strikeout swinging to retire the side.
Shortstop Jared Breen would lead off the 3rd inning for the Ironbirds but would fly out to center fielder James Harris for the 1st out. Manny Hernandez would hit a ground ball to the shortstop only to be thrown out at first base, bringing 3rd baseman Hector Veloz up to the plate. Veloz would hit a ground ball to the shortstop and would beat the throw for a base hit. 1st baseman Kris Richards would bat next and strikeout swinging for the 3rd out, bringing the 3rd inning to a close.
Gradon Goetzman would lead off the 4th inning for the Renegades and would hit a line drive past 2nd base to right field for a base hit. Harris would bat next, hitting a grounder to the 2nd baseman for a base hit, advancing Goetzman to 3rd. With no outs on the board, Darryl George would bat next and hit a line drive to deep right field for a double, bringing in Goetzman for an RBI and advancing Harris to 3rd. McChesney would bat next and with a line drive to deep right field would bring in both Harris and George for RBIs. Quińonez would bunt for a double after the throw to 1st was wild, bringing Antunez to the plate. Antunez would get a free base off a walk, prompting a visit to the mound from Ironbirds manager Matt Merullo.
Merullo would pull Richardson from the mound and bring in Janser Severino, a right-handed pitcher from La Roma, Dominican Republic.
Ariel Soriano would bat next for the Renegades and Antunez would come home on a wild pitch before Soriano would bring in an RBI on a line drive down the right field line. Oscar Hernandez would be thrown out at first after striking out. Alexander would bring an RBI off a grounder down the first base line bringing the Renegades back to the top of the order with Graden Goetzman, who would strikeout swinging to retire the side.
Bierfeldt would lead off the bottom of the 4th inning for the Ironbirds and would strikeout swinging. Catcher Scott Kalush would bat next and hit a ground ball to the shortstop who would throw to first for the out. Kemp batted next and would strikeout swinging to end the inning.
Leading off the 5th inning for the Renegades was James Harris, the center fielder, who would strikeout swinging. Daryl George would bat next and ground out to first baseman Kris Richards, bringing McChesney up to bat. McChesney would place a grounder between the 1st and 2nd baseman for a base hit, bringing Quińonez to the plate. Quińonez would go down swinging to retire the side.
Anthony Vega would lead off the bottom of the 5th for the Ironbirds and would strikeout swinging after hitting a foul ball over the first base dugout. Barber would bat next, but would go down swinging and not make it off the plate. Jared Breen would bat next and would be thrown out at first after hitting a grounder to pitcher Chris Kirsch.
Ismel Antunez led off the 6th inning for the Renegades but was thrown out at 1st base after hitting a line drive to pitcher Janser Severino. Ariel Soriano would bat next, only to go down swinging to Severino, bringing Oscar Hernandez to the plate. Hernandez would have no luck and went down swinging to retire the side.
Manny Hernandez would lead off the bottom of the 6th inning for the Ironbirds, only to strikeout swinging, bringing Hector Veloz to the plate. Veloz would also go down swinging. Kris Richards would bat next, grounding out to the shortstop Jonathn Quińonez for the 3rd out.
Merullo would pull Severino at the top of the 7th and replace him with Williams Louico, a right-handed pitcher from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republc.
Hernandez would lead off for the Renegades and popped out to the 2nd baseman Jeff Kemp. Batting next was John Alexander who got a free base after a walk from Louico. Goetzman would bat next and would also get a free base off the walk. Darryl George would come up to the plate after a single from Harris. Runners would advance on a dropped catch before Harris would ground out to the 2nd baseman. Goetzman would score on the RBI. McChesney would hit a hard chopper over the second baseman’s head for a base hit. Quińonez would hit a chopper 2nd baseman for a base hit, scoring an RBI.
Manager Merullo would once again visit the mound and pull Louico, replacing him with Harry Marion, the left-handed pitcher out of San Macros, CA.
Antunez would be the first to face Marino, but would go down swinging to retire the side.
Leading off the bottom of the 7th was Conor Bierfeldt. Bierfeldt would ground out to the 2nd baseman, bringing catcher Scott Kalush to the plate. Kalush would go down swinging. Jeff Kemp would bat next, grounding out to the 3rd baseman to end the inning.
Leading off the 8th inning for the Renegades was 2nd baseman Ariel Soriano. Soriano would hit a line drive to the shortstop, but the throw to first would go wild, allowing for the base hit. Oscar Hernandez would bat next and would hit a grounder to the 3rd baseman who would turn the double play. Alexander would bat next and would get a free base on a walk from Marino, bringing Graden Goetzman to the plate, prompting a visit to the mound from catcher Scott Kalush. Goetzman would go down swinging to retire the side.
Vega would lead off the bottom of the 8th inning for the Ironbirds, only to be thrown out at first after a grounder to the 2nd baseman. Barber would bat next, hitting a line drive into centerfield for a base hit. Breen batted next, hitting a single to right field. Manny Hernandez would go down swinging before Hector Veloz would hit a 3 run home run over the left field wall onto the roof of the visitors locker room.
Renegades Manager Michael John would pull Chris Kirsch from the mound and replace him with Eli Echarry, the right-handed pitcher out of LA Guaira, Venezuela.
Batting next for the Ironbirds was Kris Richards, who would go down swinging to end the inning.
Leading off the 9th inning for the Renegades was pitcher Eli Echarry, making his first appearance at the plate of the game. Echarry would go down swinging for the 1st out. Batting next would be Darryl George, who would get a free base off a walk from Marino and bringing Ryan McChesney up to the plate. McChesney would go down swinging. Jonathan Quińonez would bat next, bringing the Renegades to the top of the order. Quińonez would hit a line drive to the shortstop for the force-out at 2nd to retire the side.
Leading off the bottom of the 9th inning for the Ironbirds was Conor Bierfeldt, who grounded out to the shortstop. Following Bierfeldt was Scott Kalush, the catcher, who would get a free trip to 1st base off a walk. Kemp would come up to bat next, hitting a grounder to the shortstop who would turn the double play to end the game.
The Ironbirds fell 10-5 to the Hudson valley Renegades in the second game of the 2013 season. With a lack of pitching, the Ironbirds will need to work hard to fix their game if they want to make it through the season with a positive record.
