The Aberdeen IronBirds are off to a 1-3 in the 2016 season of the New York-Penn League, short season, Single A ball.
Aberdeen was held to a season-low five hits in a 5-2 loss Monday night to the Staten Island Yankees.
Despite the loss, Ryan McKenna had his best game as a first-year member of the IronBirds. McKenna, a fourth-round pick out of high school in 2015, went 3-for-4 with a home run. The blast was his first and the first for Aberdeen this year. McKenna also stole his first base of the season.
Randolph Gassaway and Stuart Levy both hit doubles to complete the IronBirds' offense. McKenna's home run came in the sixth, while Staten Island (4-0) plated three in the second inning. The Yankees added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings.
Robert Strader pitched two innings in the loss. He allowed three hits, two walks and three runs (two earned). Dariel Delgado (five Ks) pitched four innings, allowing a run, and Andrew Elliott pitched two innings, allowing an unearned run.
The IronBirds will play again Tuesday in Staten Island before playing at home for the first time on Wednesday. Aberdeen will host the Auburn Doubledays with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
Aberdeen's first game at Staten Island ended with an 8-6 loss to the McNamara Division rival Yankees on Sunday.
Aberdeen scored single runs in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings and two more in the seventh. Staten Island, however, scored in six of eight at bats, including a three-run outburst in the fourth.
Gassaway continued his early season assault at the plate, belting out a double and triple with an RBI and run scored. Kirvin Moesquit also had a pair of hits and a run scored. Ronarsy Ledesma and Guillermo Salas (double) added hits and RBIs. McKenna went hitless in four at bats, but had an RBI.
Steven Klimek took the loss, lasting three and a third innings. He gave up four hits and five runs (three earned). He also walked three. Xavier Borde pitched two innings, yielding four hits and two runs, while also walking two. Daniel Ayers pitched two-thirds of an inning scoreless and Garrett Cortright pitched two innings, giving up two hits and an earned run. Cortright had the IronBirds' only strikeout.
'Birds split two to begin season
The IronBirds salvaged a split with host Hudson Valley in the two-game season-opening series played in New York Friday and Saturday.
The win came Saturday behind solid pitching from starter Travis Seabrooke and reliever Mike Burke. The pair combined on the 3-2 win.
Seabrooke tossed five and two-third innings of five-hit baseball to get the win. Seabrooke allowed both runs, but one was unearned. He walked one and struck out two.
Burke allowed just two hits over three and a third scoreless innings. He struck out three.
Gassaway singled, doubled and drove in two runs. Ledesma singled in the game-winning run in the sixth inning, breaking up a 2-2 tie.
Alejandro Juvier (one run), Jason Henrich (two runs) and Salas also had hits for Aberdeen.
Aberdeen lost in the season-opener on Friday, 4-2, after falling behind 4-0 through six innings.
The Renegades scored twice off starter Alex Wells in the second inning. Wells pitched five innings in the loss, allowing four hits and a walk, while striking out four. Reliever Will Shepley also allowed four hits and two runs over two innings. Wells and Shepley were making their Aberdeen debuts.
Yi-Hsiang Lin, who pitched in Aberdeen last year, pitched one inning of scoreless relief.
Offensively, Gassaway pounded out two hits and an RBI. Salas belted two hits and scored a run and McKenna doubled in a run and scored another in his debut. Ledesma also had a hit for the IronBirds.
Opening season notes
Aberdeen's opening day roster did not include any 2016 draft picks. The roster has 14 players returning from various stints with Aberdeen last season, including Jerry McClanahan, Mike Odenwaelder, Ayers, Seabrooke, Lin and Gassaway who were on the team for the entire 2015 season.