Ducks Take Opener from Fish
August 3, 2007 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Long Island Ducks News Release
(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 3, 2007) - The Long Island Ducks won their fifth straight game and defeated their archrivals on Friday, knocking off the Bridgeport Bluefish 4-2 in front of a past-capacity crowd of 6,112 at Citibank Park.
The win moves Long Island eight-and-a-half games ahead of their cross-Sound rivals for first place in the North Division, and five-and-a-half games ahead of the Newark Bears, who lost on Friday to Somerset.
Bridgeport took an early 2-0 lead in the second on Quinton McCracken's two-run single. Jamie Pogue cut the deficit in half with a solo home run in the third inning, and Long Island tied the score in the fourth on an RBI single by Carl Everett. The Ducks grabbed their first lead when Navarrete homered to lead off the sixth, and picked up an insurance run in the seventh when Edgardo Alfonzo scored on a wild pitch.
Donovan Osborne (6-5) threw a solid six innings for the Ducks, giving up two runs on seven hits. The turning point in the contest arguably ocurred in the sixth inning, after a single and a walk gave the Fish two on with none out in a tie game. After being beaten early in the contest by McCracken, Osborne forced the leftfielder to foul off a pair of bunt attempts before striking him out on a curveball. The southpaw then retired the next two hitters to escape the inning unscathed, and earned the victory courtesy of Navarrete's homer in the bottom of the inning.
Mike Porzio (9-6) took the loss for Bridgeport, going six innings and allowing three runs on eight hits. Ben Grezlovski, Joe Valentine and Danny Graves each worked a scoreless inning in relief for the Ducks, with Graves picking up his league-leading 24th save.
The Ducks continue a nine game homestand on Saturday with the middle game of their three-game series against Bridgeport. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The gates open at 6:05 p.m., and the first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive inflatable bats, courtesy of Good Samaritan Hospital. Fans unable to attend can catch the game on the Ducks Flagship Station, WBZB 98.5 FM, WNYG 1440 AM, or via streaming webcast at www.liducks.com beginning at 6:50 p.m., with Ducks radio voice Chris King calling the action. Tickets to the game and all upcoming Ducks home games are available at the Citibank Park Box Office, by calling 631-940-TIXX, or by logging onto www.liducks.com and clicking on the tickets icon.
The Long Island Ducks play their home games at Citibank Park and are in their eighth season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. For further information, visit www.liducks.com, or call (631) 940-3825.
Atlantic League Stories from August 3, 2007
- Revolution Lead in South Division Shrinks - York Revolution
- Millionth Fan Arrives but Barnstormers Drop Third Straight - Lancaster Stormers
- Ducks Take Opener from Fish - Long Island Ducks
- Ten-Run Sixth Crushes Bears - Newark Bears
- Revolution Swim In A Sea Of Purple To A Tune Of $9,500 - York Revolution
- Bears Schedule Doubleheader For August 13 - Newark Bears
- Barnstormers Fan Club Newsletter - Lancaster Stormers
- Barnstormers to Welcome One Millionth Fan Tonight - Lancaster Stormers
- Bears Sign Pitcher Joe Rodriguez - Newark Bears
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