CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — Poor starting pitching and shoddy defense have plagued the Ducks all season. Both problems cropped up again last night, contributing to last night’s 11-6 blowout loss to Somerset.

Mike Myers, who started the season pitching for a Long Island-based semi-pro team, was rocked in his three innings of work. The Patriots tagged him for 10 runs (seven earned), 10 hits and three walks. By the fourth inning, every Somerset starter reached base safely and scored at least one run with the exception of Matt Hagen.

Atrocious defense didn’t help matters. The Ducks committed three errors and could have been charged with at least five as they dropped to 18-19 and into last place in the Liberty Division. The Ducks have now alternated wins and losses in the past eight games and the club’s last winning streak of over two games was May 21.

Manager Dave LaPoint talked with Donaldo Mendez in his office following the game and citied the club’s overall effort as unsatisfactory. Mendez committed two of the three errors in Myers’ second professional start.

“We didn’t show up tonight as a team and he paid for it, too,” LaPoint said. “He [Myers] wasn’t getting much help behind him. He kept battling and I give him a lot of respect for that.”

Myers’ implosion came two days after Clint Nageotte couldn’t make it out of the second inning in a 14-3 loss in Southern Maryland. Jason Simontacchi is still on the inactive list but the Ducks are struggling to fill in the rotation spots behind Randy Leek and Manny Ulloa. Nageotte, Myers, and Steven Kent have failed to distinguish themselves, each logging an ERA over six.

Jon Searles, a quality No. 3 starter, was placed on the inactive list May 28. LaPoint hinted that help could be coming from outside the organization.

“You’re always looking for better pitching,” LaPoint said. “There is just nobody out there right now. We have to go with what we have.”

Mock cheers from the 5,615 in attendance at Citibank Park marked the only time the crowd was able to have an impact. The Ducks surrendered five runs in the first inning and went down 10-0 before the fifth.

All nine Somerset hitters recorded at least one base hit, including Gera Alvarez and Brandon Larson’s solo home runs. Myers lost the strike zone in the first, hitting a batter and walking another following a leadoff single. Larson worked a bases-loaded walk to score the first ring. Myers struck out the next hitter but then gave up Vito Chiaravalloti’s two-run single. Hagen’s RBI single capped the rally.

“I look back and think the 0-2 curveball on the first hitter when he gave up the first hit shook him up a little bit,” LaPoint said. “It [wrecked] his concentration and he doesn’t have enough experience to know how to settle himself down and get back into the game.

“It’s a learning process. We’ll keep working with him.”

Myers came out for the second and promptly allowed Elliott Ayala’s double. Michael Ryan’s one-out double brought home Ayala. The Wantagh native would allow two unearned runs in the third before finally taxing LaPoint’s patience in the fourth. Larson’s blast put another run on the board and a walk and single chased Myers.

Hagen greeted reliever Kevin Mannix by lining a RBI single and Travis Anderson walked to load the bases with none out. Two foul pop ups and a flyout ended the threat without any more runs. Catcher Jamie Pogue caught two of those pop flies right behind home plate, drawing sarcastic applause rarely heard in the Atlantic League.

The fans’ frustration was understandable considering a particularly egregious mental mistake earlier in the fourth. Hagen ripped a single with Josh Pressley on second and Chiaravalloti on first. Pressley originally intended to hold at third before racing home once the ball reached Brent Abernathy at second base.

Abernathy had a clear play at home but held on to the ball, which would have resulted in at least one out since Chiaravalloti was about 20 feet off the base. But Abernathy failed to notice the runner in front of him, leaving everyone safe as jeers rained on the field.

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