The Delmarva Shorebirds snapped a five-game losing streak with an 8-5 victory over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Stiven Martinez’s late grand slam proved to be the decisive hit in the game.
Martinez’s 14th home run, a 422-foot grand slam in the eighth inning, gave Delmarva an 8-3 lead, their largest margin of the game. Kannapolis responded with a two-run double by Gavin Fitzwater in the bottom of the eighth, but the Shorebirds held on for the win.
Delmarva Shorebirds Build Lead in Sixth Inning
Kannapolis scored first in the fifth inning after a Delmarva error extended the inning. Alexander Albertus followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Cannon Ballers a 1-0 lead.
The Shorebirds tied the game in the sixth on a first-and-third play that scored Carlos Sanchez while Jhomnardo Reyes advanced to second. Reyes later scored on an RBI groundout by Jemone Nuel, giving Delmarva a 2-1 lead.
Kannapolis tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice bunt by Efren Teran with a runner at third. Delmarva then responded with two more runs on RBI singles by Carlos Sanchez and Jimmy Anderson to reclaim a 4-2 advantage.
An unearned run scored on a passed ball in the seventh, bringing the Cannon Ballers within one run at 4-3. Martinez then extended Delmarva’s lead with his grand slam in the eighth.
McKinney and Delmarva Bullpen Secure Victory
Collin McKinney made his final start of the year for Delmarva, allowing no runs over three innings and recording three strikeouts.
Kailen Hamson earned the win in relief to improve to 6-4. Javier González recorded the final four outs for his second save, while Ryan Schiefer took the loss for Kannapolis, falling to 4-3.
Records and Season Finale
Delmarva entered the game with a 45-86 overall record and a 22-43 mark in the league. Kannapolis entered at 70-61 overall and 37-28 in league play.
The Shorebirds were scheduled to conclude the 2026 season Sunday with a 1:30 p.m. series finale against the Cannon Ballers.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Martinez’s eighth-inning grand slam supplied the decisive advantage as the Delmarva Shorebirds ended their five-game losing streak. Delmarva also received three scoreless innings from McKinney and held off Kannapolis after the Cannon Ballers trimmed the deficit to three runs in the eighth.
Source: Original report
