Grasshoppers Offense Leads the Way in a 9-5 Win Over the IronBirds
from Callie Cline, Greensboro Grasshoppers Director of Media, and from www.gsohoppers.com
See on down below for the Game Notes coming in from GreensboroSports.com and from the LONG GONE Baseball Radio Network….
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Greensboro Grasshoppers defeated the Aberdeen IronBirds, 9-5, on Thursday afternoon at First National Bank Field. With the win, the Grasshoppers improved to 9-3 in the second half of the South Atlantic League season, while the IronBirds fell to 5-7. Greensboro outhit Aberdeen 8-6, as the IronBirds committed two errors in the field.
Outfielder P.J. Hilson led the Grasshoppers’ offense, going a perfect 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI, and one run scored. Additional hits for Greensboro came from Konnor Griffin, Will Taylor, Lonnie White Jr., Javier Rivas, Titus Dumitru, and Geovanny Planchart.
Aberdeen was paced by infielder Aron Estrada, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Leandro Arias followed with a 2-for-2 outing, including a home run, one RBI, and three runs scored. Griff O’Ferrall and Aneudis Mordan also contributed hits for the IronBirds.
Right-handed pitcher Hun-Leng Chang earned the win for Greensboro, improving to 4-3 on the season. Chang tossed five innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, and two walks while striking out five. Carlos Jimenez recorded his second hold of the year, and Landon Tomkins notched his eighth save of the season.
Left-handed pitcher Luis De Leon took the loss for the IronBirds, dropping to 1-2. De Leon pitched 4.1 innings, surrendering five hits, four earned runs, and three walks while tallying seven strikeouts.
The Grasshoppers are back in action at First National Bank Field on Tuesday, July 8, against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at 6:30PM for Two Dog Tuesday. To purchase tickets to any Grasshoppers home game, visit gsohoppers.com or call 336-268-2255.
from the Game Notes at GreensboroSports.com and from The LONG GONE Baseball Radio Network…..
Point on from the Callie Cline headline above…The Hoppers offense was coming to life during the Thursday July 3rd day game at First National Bank Field…
Final Score:Greensboro Grasshoppers 9, Aberdeen Ironbirds 5
WP:Hung-Leng Chang(4-3)/LP:Luis De Leon(1-2)
Hoppers' Line-9-8-0 Birds' Line- 5-6-2
Greensboro Grasshoppers(54-23/9-3)
Aberdeen Ironbirds(29-48/5-7)
Game Attendance-2,478
Time of Game-2:43
Game Time Temp-88 degrees
Some of the run-scoring highlights from the Thursday Hoppers-Ironbirds game…..
Bottom 3rd…Aberdeen Ironbirds are up, 2-0, on the Greensboro Grasshoppers headed to the Bottom of the Third Inning…
Lonnie White Jr. singles on a sharp line drive to left fielder Vance Honeycutt. Konnor Griffin scores. Lonnie White Jr. to 2nd. Fielding error by left fielder Vance Honeycutt.
Javier Rivas singles on a sharp ground ball to center fielder Austin Overn. Lonnie White Jr. scores.
ABD 2,GBO 2
In the Bottom of the Fifth Inning, it was almost like ‘Christmas in July’ when the Birds’ pitcher Dominic Freeberger tosses a Wild Pitch, allowing two Greensboro Grasshopper runs to come in, and the Hoppers go up, 4-2, over the Ironbirds….Best deal of the day if you are a Grasshopper…Two free runs, after Taylor had Doubled and White walked…That Wild Pitch was like artistic tapestry, if your canvas is on the Hoppers side of the fence…
Wild pitch by pitcher Dominic Freeberger. Will Taylor scores. Lonnie White Jr. scores.
ABD 2,GBO 4
In the Bottom of the Sixth Inning, the Greensboro Grasshoppers went out in front, 7-2, over Aberdeen, as Konnor Griffin hit one of sweetest LONG GONE Home Runs, we have ever seen…
Konnor Griffin homers on a line drive to left field. Geovanny Planchart scores. Jesus Castillo scores…Griffin was sniffin’, and he wasn’t gonna be whiffin’ on this pitch, because That Sucka was LONG GONE……
ABD 2,GBO 7
After the Birds’ have cut the lead to just 7-5 Hoppers, here comes another one of those Hoppers poppers, and there is no stopper for Hilson the Hopper once he decides it is time to go, LONG GONE, again…P.J. Hilson making out like Mookie Wilson, and his LONG GONER, will seal the deal, and send the Greensboro Grasshoppers right on to their coveted postgame meal, just before it is time to load up the bus and change the scene, as the Greensboro Nine heads out for Aberdeen(Maryland)…P.J. Hilson, the Jonesboro, Arkansas native with his smacker that ain’t coming backer, as he launches the LONG GONE Home Run, to left center field…
P.J. Hilson homers on a fly ball to left center field. Keiner Delgado scores.
ABD 5,GBO 9
And that was your final score, Greensboro Grasshoppers, 9-5, over the Aberdeen Ironbirds, as the Hoppers take the Three-Game home series from the ‘Birds, 2-1…
Konnor Griffin and P.J. Hilson with the big blows/hits that helped get the Offense going, and they take home our REMAX Revolution Player of the Game Honors…Hilson made out like Mr. Perfect/ Curt Hennig in today’s game, going 2-2/2 BBs/HR/2 RBI, and he had a Perfect Day at the plate, reaching base all four times he came to the dish…Konnor Griffin went 1-4/HR/BB/2 Runs/3 RBI…
Not a bad day, to come out and watch the Hoppers play, at FNB/First National Bank Field…
Greensboro Grasshoppers on the road for the next Three Days, as they head up to Aberdeen, Maryland to face the Ironbirds on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday…Hoppers back in town and ready to get down next Tuesday, when they will face the Bowling Green Hot Rods in Six-Game Home Series…See above in Callie Cline’s lines, and she will tell you how to get your tickets…
Final thought…Does anyone remember how it was “Back in the Day” when a baseball team would play a home game, like the Hoppers did today/Thursday, and then hit the road for a bus trip, and then play a second game, later that same day in another city…It wasn’t pretty, but that was the nature of the “Nitty Gritty” of sports back in the day….Let’s play one, and when we are through, we will play another game in another town, and make it TWO….