Ducks Fist Pump Crabs
Published on September 13, 2011 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs News Release
Waldorf, MD - Shortstop Javier Colina and centerfielder Lew Ford each had three hits as the Long Island Ducks outslugged the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 10-7 on Tuesday night in front of 3,177 fans at Regency Furniture Stadium. However, the Blue Crabs remained 3.5 games behind the Bridgeport Bluefish in the wild-card race as Bridgeport lost to York 10-9 on Tuesday night.
Long Island started the scoring in the first with two out and no one on base. Colina singled then scored on a RBI double from Ford, which was followed by a two-run blast from catcher J.R. House (19) to give the Ducks a 3-0 lead. It would be the first of seven homers between the two teams.
Southern Maryland got a run back in the second on an RBI double from shortstop Tanner Townsend. But the Ducks responded in the third as Ford tripled then scored on a sac-fly from House to make the score 4-1.
The Blue Crabs crawled back into the game as leftfielder Kody Kirkland (5) belted his second homer in as many nights, a two-run shot to left, which brought the Blue Crabs to within 4-3. Southern Maryland then took its lone lead of the night in the fourth inning as Townsend (10) and catcher Christian Lopez (9) went back-to-back on solo homers to give the Blue Crabs a 5-4 lead.
The pendulum swung back to Long Island as they got a two-run homer from Colina (24) in the fifth inning to retake the lead at 6-5, to which Southern Maryland responded with a solo-homer from designated hitter Brian Barton (12) in the fifth's bottom-half to tie the game at six apiece.
Once again, the Ducks retook the lead as designated hitter Erick Monzon hit his third homer of the year, a solo-shot, to lead-off the seventh and give Long Island a 7-6 advantage.
The nip-and-tuck affair continued in the bottom of the seventh as third baseman Travis Garcia hit a bloop-single into right field, which scored centerfielder Adam Godwin from second and tied the game once again at seven. Later in the inning, the Blue Crabs loaded the bases with two-out before first-baseman Casey Benjamin hit a frozen rope that died in the glove of right fielder Matt Esquivel to keep the game tied.
The Ducks finally managed to take control of the game in the eighth inning as they scored three runs off of a Southern Maryland bullpen which has allowed eight earned runs over its last two games. With runners at the corners and one out, third baseman Matt Padgett rolled a single into right field, which scored Ford from third and gave the Ducks an 8-7 lead. Later, with the bases loaded and two out, leftfielder Kraig Binick hit a bloop double down the right field line, which just stayed fair and scored two runs, to give Long Island the final margin of 10-7.
Relievers Jason Monti and Bubbie Buzachero of the Ducks combined to retire six of the seven men they faced over the game's final two innings.
Long Island's Ford finished the game 3-4 with a single, double, triple, two runs scored, and an RBI. Colina went 3-5 with a homer, two RBI and two runs as well. Binick, House, and Monzon each had two hits as well for the Ducks as Long Island pounded out 15 hits for the game.
Southern Maryland had 12 hits, including a 4-5 effort by Garcia who doubled twice and drove in a run. Townsend went 2-4 with a homer, double, and two RBI, while Godwin finished 2-5 with two runs scored.
Getting the win in relief for the Ducks was Jeremy Hill (8-2) who got the Ducks out of the bases loaded jam in the seventh. The loss went to Southern Maryland reliever Jason Waddell (4-10) who allowed two runs, while recording no outs in the eighth inning. Buzachero's save was his 22nd of the season.
The Blue Crabs got another seven-inning outing from starter Nick Green, but the right-hander allowed a season-high in hits (11) and runs (seven). To his credit, he did not walk anybody and he struck out four in receiving a no-decision.
The Blue Crabs take on the Ducks at Regency Furniture Stadium in game two of their three-game series on Wednesday at 7:05. Southern Maryland will send right-hander Joe Gannon (2-2, 5.44 ERA) to the hill against righty Josh Banks (1-0, 2.25 ERA) for the Ducks. The game can be heard on www.somdbluecrabs.com.
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