Bird Dawgs Fall 5-1 to Miners, Johnston Takes First Loss of Season
KINSTON, N.C. (June 13, 2026) – Spencer Johnston suffered his first loss of the season Saturday night as the Down East Bird Dawgs were held to one run in a 5-1 defeat to the Sussex County Miners at Historic Grainger Stadium, dropping Down East to 15-17.
Sussex County built the lead steadily, scoring on a Sean Roby Jr. sacrifice fly in the first, an Edwin Mateo RBI double in the fourth, and a Roby Jr. RBI groundout in the fifth to take a 3-0 advantage.
Tyler Blaum pulled one back for Down East with an RBI single in the sixth to cut it to 3-1, but Hunter D'Amato put the game out of reach with a two-RBI single in the seventh to close out the 5-1 final.
Johnston (4-1) took the loss despite a strong outing, allowing two earned runs on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Rob Hensey (2-4) earned the win for Sussex County, holding Down East to one unearned run on six hits over six innings with six strikeouts and no walks.
The Bird Dawgs (15-17) look to force a series split in the finale Sunday, June 14, at 4 p.m. ET at Historic Grainger Stadium.
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About the Down East Bird Dawgs
The Down East Bird Dawgs are a professional baseball team in the Frontier League, an MLB Partner League. The team began their inaugural season in May 2025 at Historic Grainger Stadium, in Kinston, NC. The team is continuing baseball traditions in the Kinston community with competitive play, captivating promotions, and top-notch community involvement & events.
Media Contact: Spencer Pattison | Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations (office) 252.549.4388 (email) [email protected]