WILMINGTON, DE (7/17/26) — The Wilmington Blue Rocks defeated the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, 5-4, Friday night at Frawley Stadium.
Wilmington opened the series with a win and improved to 12-10 in the second half. The Blue Rocks now sit atop the South Atlantic League North Division. Jersey Shore now is 5-16 and last in the SAL North.
No. 1 Nationals prospect Eli Willits drove in Teo Banks from first base with a sharp line drive into the right-field corner in the bottom of the ninth, giving Wilmington a walk-off victory. Willits emphasized his simple approach at the plate after finishing 2-for-3 with a walk and the game-winning RBI.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit,” Willits said. “He throws really hard, and I was able to get a good pitch early in the count. Thankfully, I put a good swing on it.”
The walk-off was even more meaningful for Willits, whose family made the trip from Oklahoma to watch him play.
“I'm thankful to be able to play this great game,” Willits said. “To have great teammates and have my family here supporting me. I'm just really thankful for everything and excited for the rest of the year.”
Willits picked up right where he left off following his appearance in the MLB Futures Game, collecting two hits, drawing a walk, and delivering the game-winning RBI in Wilmington's first game after the All-Star break.
The 18-year-old said the dramatic victory should provide momentum heading into the rest of the weekend series.
“It's a lot of fun. The clubhouse is going to be rocking tonight, and it'll be a fun celebration with the guys,” Willits said. “Then we'll show up tomorrow ready to work and get ready for the rest of the week.”
While Willits provided the heroics, manager Ted Tom credited the entire club for grinding out the victory.
“We played really good defense, and our pitching was awesome. Mikey Tepper had a great outing here in Wilmington,” Tom said.
Starting pitcher Mikey Tepper bounced back after a difficult start to July. Entering Friday, the right-hander had surrendered nine runs over his previous seven innings. Against Jersey Shore, Tepper allowed just one run on three hits over four innings while striking out six.
His biggest moment came in the third inning when he stranded two BlueClaws in scoring position by recording back-to-back strikeouts to preserve Wilmington's lead.
“I'm not usually someone who shows a lot of emotion,” Tepper said. “But getting that strikeout to end the inning after working through that situation really fired me up. It was a big moment for me.”
Tepper credited the All-Star break with helping him get back on track.
“The break gave me time to work on some things,” Tepper said. “Since coming here, everyone's been great. The coaches have been awesome, my teammates have been great, and we're all pulling for each other every day.”
Wilmington jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Angel Feliz drove home Eli Willits on a fielder's choice before Jacob Walsh ripped a two-out, two-run double into center field to score Ronny Cruz and Feliz.
The BlueClaws chipped away at the deficit behind Brandon Lewis' solo home run in the fourth and Carter Mathison's two-run homer in the fifth to even the score at 3-3.
Jersey Shore took its first lead of the night in the ninth when Daunte Stuart lined a go-ahead RBI single to right field off Marquis Roberts.
The Blue Rocks answered immediately in the bottom half. Elijah Green doubled to begin the inning before Banks tied the game with an RBI single to right. Moments later, Willits laced a double into the right-field corner, allowing Banks to race home from first and cap Wilmington's second walk-off victory of the season.
Roberts earned the win despite allowing the go-ahead run in the ninth. Titan Kennedy-Hayes took the loss after surrendering the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Blue Rocks continue their six-game series against the BlueClaws on Saturday night at Frawley Stadium. Miguel Sime Jr. is the projected starter for Saturday.