Hagerstown Suns

Christian Walker stroked an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday to lead Delmarva to a 2-1 walk-off victory over the Hagerstown Suns. The victory allowed the Shorebirds (3-1) to win the season-opening series over the Suns. Walker drove in both Delmarva runs in the win. Delmarva pitching - led by Branden Kline, a Thomas Johnson graduate and the Baltimore Orioles' No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft - held the Suns to three hits. Hagerstown's only run came on Brandon Miller's first home run in the seventh, a leadoff shot to center that tied the game at 1. Kline pitched six innings, allowing two hits, while walking two and striking out three in the no decision.

Wander Ramos drove in two runs to lead the Hagerstown Suns to a 5-3 win over Delmarva on Saturday in the opening game of a doubleheader. The Shorebirds came back for a 7-3 win in the nightcap, shutting out the Suns until the seventh inniing. The Suns jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Delmarva starter Mark Blackmar (0-1). Tony Renda led off with a single and took second on Blackmar's balk before scoring on Mike McQuillian's single to left. McQuillian advanced on a grounder and a passed ball before scoring on Ramos' ground out. Delmarva got a run back in the bottom of the second on Anthony Vega's RBI single off Suns' starter Brett Mooneyham to cut the deficit to 2-1. Hagerstown added two runs in the fourth on a run-scoring single by J.R. Higley and when Stephen Perez reached on a fielding error to make it 4-1. The Shorebirds closed again, scoring twice in the sixth on a two-run home run by Roderick Bernadina off reliever Blake Schwartz to close within 4-3. The Suns picked up an insurance run in the seventh when Renda led off with a double and eventually scored when Ramos reached on shortstop Adrian Marin's error.

The Delmarva Shorebirds edged the Hagerstown Suns 4-3 on Thursday night in the teams' South Atlantic League season opener. The Shorebirds broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning against Suns reliever Brian Rauh. With two outs and the bases empty, Joel Hutter hit his second triple of the game and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Delmarva went up 2-0 in the second against Suns starter Dixon Anderson. Hutter hit an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Roderick Bernadina.

A draft of the follow-up study that looks at the economic feasibility of two additional sites for a new ballpark for the Hagerstown Suns has been sent to the city for review, a Ripken Design official said Wednesday afternoon. Dan Taylor, project manager with Ripken Design, said a copy of the report was delivered to Jill Estavillo, the city's economic development manager. Taylor said he expects the city to review the draft over the next “week or two” and then report back to the firm with any requested revisions or changes.

For one day, Dixon Anderson has a chance to feel like Stephen Strasburg. “That would be awesome,” the right-handed pitcher said. Like Strasburg, Anderson will be the opening-day starter for a Washington Nationals team, albeit the Hagerstown Suns, the Single-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. So, it's not at Nationals Park against the Miami Marlins. It's in Purdue Stadium Thursday at 7:05 p.m. against the Delmarva Shorebirds in Salisbury, Md. And no one will be expecting a cool seven shutout innings on 80 pitches.

These aren't your father's Hagerstown Suns. They aren't even your infant brother's Suns. Heck, they aren't even close to last season's version of the team. The 2013 version of the Suns is about as brand new - from the roster down to the uniform - and fresh faced as can be as they prepare to start the franchise's 34th season with Thursday's season opener at Delmarva. “This is a whole new group to this level,” said Suns manager Tripp Keister, who is also new to the South Atlantic League.

Historians sometimes refer to April 1865 as the most important month in U.S. history. Over a two-week period, Union armies captured Richmond, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse and President Lincoln was assassinated. It would be hard to argue that over any two-week period there was a sequence of events with any greater significance for our country. It won't rival April 1865, but April 2013 is poised to possibly be among the most important months in Hagers-town's history.  Decisions over the next month likely will have ramifications for a generation to come.

“In answer to the caller saying Maryland's murder rate is 47 percent higher than in Pennsylvania: Just wait until the passage of the bill to legalize marijuana, which was introduced in the House, Maryland House, by Del. Anderson of Baltimore. Then see what the percentage is.” - Smithsburg “I'm referring to the Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, Mail Call from Williamsport, about local eateries, for coupons. You have to present the coupon first because most eateries have a point-of-sale system that doesn't allow you to take the discount after the fact.” - Hagerstown “In response to the gentleman who said his wife is related to Mary Todd Lincoln through the Todd family: While it's a great family history, I don't think she would have Lincoln blood.

What a difference a matter of weeks makes. A recent flicker of promise for downtown Hagerstown now seems just that: A random spark that, untended, will die out before having a chance to catch. The newly elected city council came into office late last year, inheriting a reasonably well-developed plan for a downtown multi-purpose stadium that was to primarily serve the Hagerstown Suns minor league baseball team. The new council's first action, just about, was to kill those plans.

Former Hagerstown Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II has been named interim general manager of the Hagerstown Suns, effective March 1, the team announced Monday. “The interim position will be for the 2013 season, and we'll re-examine that at the end of the season,” Bruchey said in an interview at the Suns offices at Municipal Stadium. Asked if he was in the running for or applying for the GM position, Bruchey said the interim position was a surprise and, “I guess we'll see what happens this season and how well we do.” Bruchey, who lost his bid for re-election as mayor last November, began working for the Suns on Jan. 14 as the team's director of sales, marketing and community affairs.