Fresh off their first win of the season, the Wilmington Blue Rocks received an unexpected day off on Friday, April 11, due to inclement weather before taking the field again for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12, against the Hub City Spartanburgers. Wilmington dropped Game 1 by a final score of 3-1, but bounced back in Game 2, securing a doubleheader split with a 6-0 victory.

The day started off promising for the Rocks, as Riley Cornelio got the nod on the bump for Game 1 and delivered one of the strongest starts of his minor league career. The 24-year-old pitched five innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and striking out a career-high 10 batters.

“Definitely felt like my stuff was working,” said Cornelio. “But still looking for wins. We’re a really good team, just gotta start stringing them together here.”

Cornelio’s outing was a complete 180 compared to his first start of the year against Brooklyn, where he lasted just 2 ⅔ innings while surrendering seven hits, three walks, and five runs.

“I felt it was more like what I had shown prior to that first outing,” said Cornelio. “In spring training, I had a lot of good stuff, a lot of good outings, so it was just nice to be back in Wilmington and throw a little bit better.”

Unfortunately, Wilmington’s offense was unable to find an equal amount of success, as they were able to muster up just one run on five hits en route to the loss.

This called for a mindset change at the plate ahead of Game 2.

“Just stay within ourselves and do what we’re capable of doing,” said T.J. White. “Don’t try to do too much, just go out there and play our game.”

Throughout the first three innings, it appeared that the Rocks were heading down a similar, lifeless path on offense, but that all changed in the bottom of the fourth when Brandon Pimentel ripped a double down the left field line to score two. Then, after the 24-year-old scored on a throwing error, White stepped up to the plate and scorched a ball right under the third baseman’s glove that scored two and stretched the lead to 5-0, breaking the game wide open.

“It was a good moment for me, but really good for the team,” said White. “That kick-started our offense and got us going.”

Once the Rocks took that commanding lead, the game felt out of reach for Hub City due to the way Jackson Kent was pitching. In the second start of his young career, the Nationals’ 2024 fourth-round pick was excellent, allowing just one hit across five scoreless innings while, much like Cornelio, striking out a career-high nine batters.

“I trusted what I saw out there earlier today with Riley and his stuff,” said Kent. “He gave me a good plan to go at the guys, and that’s what I did tonight.”

Cornelio and Kent’s performances continued a trend that began on Thursday with Alex Clemmey, as Wilmington starters have now allowed just one run in their last 15 innings.

“We have a good group of guys,” said Cornelio. “We all really like each other, and we’re getting close and pushing each other and competing out there. It’s fun to have those guys going after it week after week.”

“It’s fun to watch when we get in a roll and a groove like that,” said Kent. “It’s fun to build off each other and compete with each other the whole game.”

If the Rocks can continue to get that level of consistency out of their starting pitching, it will take a massive load off the lineup’s shoulders as well.

“It keeps us in a rhythm, so that we’re not standing out there on defense for 15 to 20 minutes every inning,” said White. “We’re focusing more on our at-bats that way.”

There were many positive signs to take from Saturday’s doubleheader, and the Blue Rocks will look to ride that momentum into Sunday’s series finale against the Spartanburgers as they eye a six-game series split.

For comments/questions about this story DM us on Instagram @TheWhitSports or email sports@thewhitonline.com