Skeeters Drop Game One to Blue Crabs, 6-1

Ryan Ketchner made his first start of the season going two and a third innings without giving up a run or a hit while striking out three in his debut for the Skeeters. Derrick Gordon came in for relief half way through the third inning to pick up where Ketchner left off. The game remained scoreless through the first three and a half innings until the Blue Crabs came to bat in the bottom of the fourth.

First baseman Casey Benjamin started the first full inning of work for Gordon with a double off a fastball into right. Brian Barton struck out in the next at-bat, and Matt Padgett walked to put runners on first and second. Catcher Christian Lopez was the second batter to strike out in the inning following Padgett, and with two out and two on, right fielder Mike Daniel took the batter's box. On a 1-2 pitch off Gordon, Daniel tripled down the line over Botts outstretched hand in right. Both Benjamin and Padgett scored from third and first giving the Blue Crabs a 2-0 lead.

More trouble came in the bottom of the seventh inning for Sugar Land. Gordon gave up a leadoff double to Lopez, walked Daniel, and hit center fielder Jeremy Owens all in succession to load the bases with no outs for left fielder Richard Giannotti. Ahead in the count, Giannotti took a slider deep to right center field clearing the bases in the process to give the home team a 5-0 lead.

Sugar Land managed one run in the top of the eighth off an RBI-single from newly acquired utility player Matt Hagen with runners on first and second, 5-1, but were unable to bring any more runs home leaving 10 left on base throughout the game including the leaving the bases loaded in the sixth.

Michael Nix came in for one inning of work in the bottom of eighth to polish off the side, but he gave up a solo home run (2) to Padgett allowing the Blue Crabs their one run back.

Skeeters Bites: Dominic Ramos continued a five-game hitting streak...Drew Locke extended his six-game hitting streak to a season-high seven games...Ryan Ketchner allowed no runs and no hits in 2.1 innings of work in his first appearance of the season.

Game two will be played tomorrow night with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CDT at Regency Furniture Stadium.

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Atlantic League Stories from June 4, 2012

• Skeeters Drop Game One to Blue Crabs, 6-1 - Sugar Land Skeeters
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