The Delmarva Shorebirds lost 5-4 to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The defeat was Delmarva’s fifth straight and came despite a ninth-inning rally that brought the tying run to third base.
Delmarva entered the game with records of 44-86 overall and 21-43 in the second half. Kannapolis entered at 70-60 overall and 36-27 in the second half.
Kannapolis Builds Early Lead
The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers scored in each of the first two innings. Stiven Flores delivered an RBI single in the first, and Jake Berkland followed with a run-scoring single in the second to give Kannapolis a 2-0 lead.
Miguel Rodriguez put the Delmarva Shorebirds on the scoreboard in the fifth inning with a two-out RBI double that scored Stiven Martinez. Abraham Nunez answered with an RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom half of the inning, restoring Kannapolis’ two-run advantage at 3-1.
Berkland brought home Alexander Albertus on a sixth-inning run-scoring groundout to extend the lead to 4-1. A Delmarva error on a pickoff throw in the eighth inning made it 5-1.
Ninth-Inning Rally Comes Up Short
Delmarva loaded the bases on three consecutive hits in the ninth inning. Rodriguez drew a bases-loaded walk for his second RBI of the game, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
With two outs and the bases still loaded, Jemone Nuel singled home two runs to make it a one-run game and put the tying run at third base. Delmarva could not complete the comeback.
Andrew Berg earned the win for Kannapolis and moved to 1-0. Braden Smith took the loss for Delmarva and dropped to 0-1, while Daniel Wright recorded the final out for the save.
Next Game
The Delmarva Shorebirds are scheduled to try to end their losing streak Saturday against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Collin McKinney is scheduled to pitch for Delmarva against Nick Pinto, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Delmarva’s ninth-inning rally created a late opportunity after the Shorebirds fell behind 5-1. Rodriguez drove in two runs, and Nuel’s two-run single brought Delmarva within one, but Kannapolis recorded the final out to secure the victory.
Source: Original report
