Skeeters Drop Game Three, Series to Blue Crabs

After a Dominic Ramos leadoff double to start the game and a Bubba Bell walk to follow, Josh Pressley got the scoring started in the top of the first for the Skeeters. On a 2-2 pitch, Pressley pulled a fastball down the right-field line that sailed up and over the wall for his first three-run home run (4) of the season to give the Skeeters a 3-0 lead.

The Blue Crabs countered with a big half-inning in the first, though. Ryan Houston got the starting nod from Manager Gary Gaetti, his first start since Double-A New Hampshire in 2005. Things started off shakily for Houston when he gave up a leadoff single to Mike Daniel and a walk to David Espinosa. With two on and none out, Casey Benjamin made Houston pay with a bases-clearing RBI-triple to right-center field drawing the lead to one for the Skeeters, 3-2.

With Benjamin on third and Brian Barton batting, Houston got the groundout to short, but Iggy Suarez threw wide of first allowing Benjamin to score to tie the game on the error, 3-3. The Skeeters chose to bring in relief pitcher Pedro Liriano after Houston walked Matt Padgett. After a Richard Mercado fielder's choice for the first out, Southern Maryland used back-to-back RBI-singles from Paco Figueroa and Jeremy Owens to take a 5-3 lead after a 40 minutes first inning.

The Skeeters countered in the top of the second with a few swings of their own. Manny Mejia led off the second with his first home run of the season deep over the picnic area in left to cut the lead down to one, 5-4. Iggy Suarez and Ryde Rodriguez followed with singles up the middle and after a fielder's choice from Bell moved Suarez to third, Manager Gaetti tricked the Blue Crabs with a double-steal. Mercado threw down to second from behind home to get Bell, but Suarez stole home to tie the game, 5-5.

Liriano retired the side in order in the bottom of the second after allowing a leadoff walk with a strike-em-out throw-em-out double play, and in the top of the third Sugar Land used the long ball to its advantage again. For the second time in Skeeters history, they hit back-to-back home runs to take a 7-5 lead. Pressley tattooed another inside fastball down the right-field line to make it 6-5 with his second home run (5) of the game, and Matt Hagen followed suit with his first as a Skeeters player into left.

Kelvin Villa came in to pitch the fourth and the fifth for the Skeeters after Liriano finished working three innings, but fared no better than Houston from the first. Villa gave up a run in the fourth on an RBI-single from Benjamin to cut the lead to 7-6 with his fourth RBI of the game, but the real trouble came in the fifth. Villa gave up a leadoff single to Padgett, and with one on and none out, Mercado scorched a ball over the left-field fence to the clubhouse roof to give his team an 8-7 lead. Southern Maryland tagged one insurance run on in the sixth to make it 9-7, and that is how the final score looked after nine innings of play.

The Skeeters were held scoreless on just two hits from the fourth to the ninth inning while the Blue Crabs used five relievers after starter Matt Vasquez just managed 3.2 innings giving up 10 hits and seven runs. Sugar Land was also retired three-up three-down four innings in a row and only showed four batters in the ninth to end the game.

Skeeters Bites: Josh Pressley becomes the second player to hit two home runs in a game...Pressley and Hagen became the second duo to hit back-to-back home runs in franchise history...Manny Mejia hit his first home run of the season...The Skeeters hit four home runs in one game, the most all season...May the force be with you on Star Wars Night! Star Wars Fireworks presented by Houston Area Chevy Dealers! Greatwood Community Night to open up the fourth home stand of the season.

The Skeeters have the day off tomorrow before opening up a six-game home stand over five days with the Somerset Patriots in a Freedom Division battle starting Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT at Constellation Field.

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Atlantic League Stories from June 6, 2012

• Bullpen, Late Runs Lift Revolution - York Revolution
• Skeeters Drop Game Three, Series to Blue Crabs - Sugar Land Skeeters
• Ducks Fight Back to Squish the 'Fish - Long Island Ducks
• Brackman Dazzles Patriots In Shutout - Lancaster Barnstormers
• Long Island Defeats Bridgeport - Bridgeport Bluefish
• Barnstormers Power Past Patriots 6-0 - Somerset Patriots
• Halama Named Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month - Lancaster Barnstormers

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