Jackson Holliday, Connor Norby, Coby Mayo and Kyle Stowers all put up big nights in the Tides win while Samuel Basallo played hero in a comeback effort for Bowie,
Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 11, Nashville Sounds (Brewers) 5
The Tides piled on 11 runs on 15 hits as the bats dominated in a win over Nashville. It was all the usual suspects leading the way as the offense put up double digit runs for the first time in 10 days. Jackson Holliday got the TIdes’ first rally started with a one-out single in the top of the third. Connor Norby wasted no time bringing Holliday home, launching the second pitch he saw over the left field fence. Kyle Stowers got in on the fun two batters later, hitting a solo HR to right field to give the Tides a 3-0 lead.
The home run derby continued in the fourth inning thanks to DH Daniel Johnson, who launched a hanging sweeper into right field to give Norfolk a 4-0 lead. The offensive explosion truly erupted in the sixth. With a runner on first, catcher Maverick Handley lined a double to right to give Norfolk runners at second and third. A trio of singles from Johnson, Errol Robinson and Holliday brought home three more runs and expanded the Norfolk lead to 7-0. The top of the lineup then showed off some more power. Norby launched a double to score Robinson and Coby Mayo capped off the huge inning with a three-run homer to left center.
Tides EXPLODE for seven runs in the 6th! @cobymayox blasted a three-run shot, his ninth of the season! Norfolk up, 11-0.#RisingTide pic.twitter.com/3AUXvxwPqO
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) May 1, 2024
Nashville got on the board with a pair of runs in the sixth and then a trio of runs in the ninth. After Wandisson Charles struggled to close out the game, Andrew Suárez came in with the bases loaded and two outs. Suárez did walk in the Sounds’ final run, but then ended the game on a ground out. The Sounds’ failed comeback attempt didn’t take away from the damage done by the top of the Tides lineup. The quartet of Holliday, Norby, Mayo and Stowers combined to go 9-19 with three HRs, two doubles and eight RBIs. WIth an ever-shuffling big league roster in Baltimore, it seems like any one of that four could be the next to get a call up.
Double-A: Bowie Baysox 10, Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) 8
The Baysox fell behind early, but off the back of Samuel Basallo, Bowie stormed back to score a win over the SeaWolves. Bowie fell behind thanks to a big first inning from Erie. SeaWolves 3B Gage Workman led off with a solo HR on the third pitch of the game. Erie added another run after a single, a walk and a sac fly before CF Brady Allen capped the offensive explosion with a two-run homer to left center.
Down 4-0 before their first at-bat, Bowie began to slowly chip away at the lead. In the bottom of the first, Dylan Beavers reached on a two-out single and stole second. Fellow OF John Rhodes then singled to right to drive home Beavers and get Bowie its first run.
The Baysox further chipped away at the deficit with some more timely hitting and aggressive base running. Third baseman Anthony Servideo led off the third inning with a single, stole second, then stole third while Jud Fabian walked to give the Baysox runners at first and third. Back-to-back singles from Beavers and Rhodes brought both runners home and cut the Erie lead to 4-3.
Erie got a run back in top of the fourth thanks to a triple from Workman and a fielding error that brought him home from third. However, that didn’t stop Bowie’s comeback attempt. Designated hitter Connor Pavolony got that run back on a solo HR in the bottom of the fourth, and then Basallo tied things with his fourth long ball of the season.
Pav showing off the pop pic.twitter.com/ughm66UIEu
— Bowie Baysox (@BowieBaysox) April 30, 2024
We think you’re going to enjoy this next highlight pic.twitter.com/zSTGW74bnw
— Bowie Baysox (@BowieBaysox) April 30, 2024
Bowie would have to come back one more time after Erie put up three runs in the top of the seventh. Down 8-5, the Baysox immediately pulled one back in the bottom of the seventh after Servideo reached on a walk and later came around to score on a groundout. The big rally didn’t come until the eighth, though. Frederick Bencosme started the inning with a walk and moved to third on a single from TT Bowens. Collin Burns then cut the deficit to one with an RBI single before Bowens scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 8-8. Basallo then delivered the knockout blow, launching a double to center to bring home the final two runs and complete the comeback.
Built for the big moment! pic.twitter.com/GmToDKDgNN
— Bowie Baysox (@BowieBaysox) May 1, 2024
High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 9, Aberdeen IronBirds 2
Aberdeen gave up seven runs in the first inning and never really got the offense going in a lopsided loss to Brooklyn. IronBirds starter Levi Wells looked to build on his best start of the season, but instead got blindsided by the Brooklyn bats. Second baseman Wilfredo Lara led off the game with a double, and then back-to-back singles brought him home for the first run of the game. Wells then gave up a double to 3B Nick Lorusso and a single to SS William Lugo to bring home two more runs for Brooklyn.
The former fourth-round draft pick finally got his first out of the inning, but it didn’t stop the runs from flowing in. With Lorusso on third, he uncorked a wild pitch to bring the runner home and give the Cyclones a 4-0 lead. Jefrey De Los Santos then lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Lugo, and Wells’ night ended with Aberdeen down 5-0. Reliever Bradley Brehmer didn’t fare much better, as he gave up a two-run homer to the first batter he faced in Omar De Los Santos.
The IronBirds offense was never able to mount much of a comeback until it was much too late. They got a runner in scoring position in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but were only 1-5 with RISP and never brought a run home. Brooklyn added another two runs in the sixth to well and truly put the game out of reach. Aberdeen would get two runs back in the ninth thanks to a leadoff triple from Matthew Etzel, a sac fly from Creed Willems and a trio of singles from Elio Prado, Carter Young and Douglas Hodo III. Randy Florentino then flew out with the bases loaded to end the game.
Low-A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros) 10, Delmarva Shorebirds 2
The Shorebirds fell behind before they even came up to bat, and the Woodpeckers used three big innings to deal Delmarva a decisive defeat. Fayetteville CF Kenni Gomez led off the game with a double to right, and 1B Oliver Carrillo followed that up with a ground rule double to give the Woodpeckers a 1-0 lead. Carrillo moved to third on a passed ball and DH Juan Santander hit a one-out single to double the Fayetteville lead.
Delmarva starter Jacob Cravey settled down after that, working quickly through the second and third innings to keep the score at 2-0. That calm didn’t last, though, as the Woodpecker bats brought another storm in the fourth inning. Santander got the rally going with a double to left and then came home to score on a two-out triple from LF Cesar Hernandez. Right fielder Nehomar Ochoa Jr. then put the exclamation point on the inning by launching a two-run homer to left, increasing the Fayetteville lead to 5-0.
Delmarva finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. Catcher Cole Urman singled, advanced to second on a balk and then came home on an RBI single from SS Alfredo Velásquez. The Shorebirds tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to some more small ball. Designated hitter Maxwell Costes led off the inning with a single, before a single from LF Kevin Guerrero and a walk from Velásquez loaded the bases with one out. Woodpecker pitcher Colby Langford uncorked a wild pitch to allow Cortes to score from third, but the other two runners were left stranded.
Down only 5-2 heading into the seventh, there might have been some hope for a comeback—hope that Fayetteville quickly extinguished. The Woodpeckers pulled off another two-rally, with Santander launching a two-run double to right, 2B Waner Luciano bringing home an eighth run with a single, and Hernandez delivering the knockout blow on a two-run HR to right.
Wednesday’s Scheduled Games
Norfolk Tides at Nashville Sounds 7:35pm ET. (Cade Povich vs. Aaron Ashby)
Bowie Baysox vs. Erie Seawolves, 11:05am ET. (Ryan Longs vs. Jackson Jobe)
Aberdeen IronBirds at Brooklyn Cyclones, 6pm ET. (Jackson Baumeister vs. Felipe De La Cruz)
Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers, 7:05pm ET. (Ty Weatherly vs. Alain Pena)