The Aberdeen IronBirds started the week without a series loss on the year, sporting the best record not only in SAL but across the entire minor leagues.
Though they still sit at 26-11, the IronBirds would lose their first series of the season to the Rome Braves, ending with a three-game losing streak.
Colton Cowser was one of the bright spots this week, collecting five hits in the series, including a home run in Wednesday’s loss. Though he saw his 13-game on-base streak come to an end, it was his 3-for-5 effort in Sunday’s defeat that stood out the most.
Cowser would pick up his ninth RBI and score a run in the defeat, but he also collected three hits in the affair. On the year, Cowser is now batting .244 with an OBP of .374. He has two home runs to go with nine RBIs and now has 11 stolen bases.
Coby Mayo, once again, turned heads with three multi-hit games during the series. His biggest game came in Thursdays win, when he provided almost all the offense. He would hit two homers and knock in four runs in the game.
Mayo now has nine home runs, tops on the team, on the season and picked up his team-leading 30th RBI. Mayo also leads the team with 27 runs scored for the year.
Connor Gillispie and Peter Van Loon get a duel shout out for their pitching effort in Aberdeen’s victory Thursday.
Gillispie would start the game pitching five innings of one-run ball. He would collect eight strikeouts in the game, while dropping his opponent’s batting average against to .211. Though he would get a no decision, his start was instrumental in helping dictate the game.
Gillispie has now appeared in seven games, collecting a 3-1 record across 30 innings with 42 strikeouts. His ERA fell to 3.30 on the year and stands at 0.64 for the month of May.
Van Loon would follow Gillispie, and he would pitch the remaining four innings, picking up the victory. As impressive as Gillispie was, Van Loon was just a bit better, allowing only one hit and striking out eight batters.
Van Loon picked up his fourth victory on the year to move to 4-0 in seven games. He has pitched to a 3.86 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 21 innings of work.
Though the IronBirds lost the series, they still maintain a 5.5-game lead in their division and hold the best SAL record by 3.5 games. They will stay at home, where they will meet the division rival Wilmington Blue Rocks (20-16).
The IronBirds will look to increase their division lead and get things back on track starting at 7:05 Tuesday night. Be ready to support your IronBirds and cheer them to victory.
Who stood out to you most in Aberdeen this week? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!
Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @SrHeckman
The Baltimore Battery 