The IronBirds wrapped up their losingest season in the franchise's 10-year history on Sunday with a defeat, knocked off 3-2 by the Hudson Valley Renegades in New York.
The loss knocked down Aberdeen to 24-51 for the year, which put the IronBirds 12.5 games behind third-place Hudson Valley in the New York-Penn League's three-team McNamara Division. Prior to the 2011 season, Aberdeen's worst record was in 2005, when the team finished 27-48.
Aberdeen scored both its runs in the top of the second inning, which began with Joe Velleggia and Wynston Sawyer earning back-to-back walks. Velleggia made it home on Connor Narron's single to right, and Sawyer, after moving to third on a groundout, scored on Dudley Leonora's sacrifice hit.
Hudson Valley posted one run in the bottom of the second, tied things in the seventh, then put up the winning run in the eighth.
Kyle Hoppy was the lone IronBird with more than one hit, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.
Taking the loss was Matt Taylor, who tossed 2/3 of an inning, allowing one earned run on no hits and a pair of walks.
Josa Mota started the game for Aberdeen and lasted five innings on a no decision, striking out one without allowing a walk and holding the Renegades to one earned run on six hits.
1-0 victory
Aberdeen scored just once on Saturday night, but that proved to be enough to earn a 1-0 win over host-team Hudson Valley.
With the game scoreless in the top of the eighth, Glynn Davis kicked off the game's lone scoring rally with a leadoff double to left. After moving over to third on Martin Serrata's sacrifice bunt, Davis tagged up and scored on Velleggia's fly ball to deep center field.
Zach Fowler (2-0) picked up his second win of the season with a relief stint, going 2-1/3 innings out of the bullpen and holding the Renegades to one hit over that stretch.
Luis Lebron earned his first save for Aberdeen, tossing 2/3 of an inning in which he struck out one and didn't give up a walk or a hit.
Tyler Wilson made the start and worked through six innings, striking out six and scattering three hits without issuing a walk in a no decision.
Swept at double-header
Playing a twin bill on Friday, the IronBirds lost at both ends, losing 5-4 and 3-0 in Hudson Valley.
Both contests were shortened to seven innings.
In the final game of the double-header, Aberdeen suffered a one-run, 5-4 defeat despite holding an early-game, 3-0 lead.
The IronBirds scored right out of the gate, rallying for a pair of runs in the top of the first. Austin Knight began the outburst with a one-out single to right, then scored when Mychal Givens base hit to center was misplayed. Givens, who moved to third on the error, scampered home on Sawyer's RBI groundout for his team's second run.
In the second frame, Aberdeen got a two-out double from Thomas Winegardner, who then scored on a fielding error when Serrata's fly ball to left was booted.
The Renegades scored twice in the bottom of the second, tied things up with a run in the third, then added one run in both the fourth and fifth frames.
Aberdeen tied the game 4-4 in the top of the fifth, when Davis cranked a one-out double that plated Serrata, who had gotten on with a base hit.
Taking the loss was Miguel Chalas, who went four innings in the start, striking out six, allowing no walks and surrendering three earned runs on seven hits. Enrico Jimenez closed out the game for Aberdeen, tossing two innings of hitless relief.
The opening game of Friday's matchup saw Aberdeen manage just two hits in a 3-0 shutout loss.
Davis had a single and earned two walks, while Hoppy had Aberdeen's other hit, which was also a single.
Hudson Valley scored its first run in the fifth, then padded its lead by two in the following inning.
Jaime Esquivel had a fine start for the Aberdeen, allowing just one run on two hits over five innings, striking out eight and walking four, but had to settle for the loss. Alex Schmarzo surrendered two earned runs on two hits and a walk in his two-inning relief appearance.
Birds end losing skid
Having lost their last seven games, and needing a victory to avoid breaking the franchise record for losses in a season, the Aberdeen IronBirds rode a four-run, fifth-inning rally to a 5-3 victory over Tri-City in their final home game of the season.
With the win, Aberdeen improved to 23-48 on the year.
Trailing, 3-1, heading into the bottom of the fifth, Aberdeen got a leadoff double to left from Ryan Zrenda, who was promptly knocked home by Winegardner's two-bagger to center. Davis moved his teammate over to third with a bunt single and Serrata followed with a single to left that scored Winegardner with the tying run. Davis and Serrata advanced a base each when the Tri-City hurler's pickoff attempt went sailing into the wall. Both were then knocked home when Givens slapped a two-RBI single to right.
Aberdeen went up in the home half of the first. Davis had a lead-off single and Serrata hit into a fielder's choice in which Davis was retired, then moved to second on Givens' groundout to third. Velleggia came up next and belted a two-out, RBI single to left that scored Serrata from second.
Tri-City tied things up in the second, hitting three singles to score once against Aberdeen starter Eduardo Rodriguez.
With Rodriguez still on the mound in the top of the fourth, the Valleycats went up by two, posting two runs on a solo homer, a walk and a single.
Rodriguez lasted four frames, striking out four, walking one and holding Tri-City to three earned runs on six hits in a no decision.
Aberdeen reliever Jorge Rivera (1-0) got the win with a three-inning relief stint in which he held the visitors hitless, struck out three and did not allow a walk.
Devin Jones earned his second save of the season with a two-inning effort, striking out three, walking one and holding the Valleycats hitless along the way.
Givens finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Davis was 3-for-5 with a run scored. Zrenda went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while Winegardner had two singles, one run and one RBI in the victory. Serrata scored a pair of runs, while Sawyer finished 1-for-2 with a double and two walks.