CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — Last month, manager Dave LaPoint said he needed to refine ace pitcher Randy Leek’s mechanics to get him on track.

Leek responded by pitching eight strong innings to pick up the victory May 30 in Southern Maryland. The Levittown native did one better last night, tossing a complete game. But the Ducks’ offense failed to capitalize on his outing, getting stymied by Camden’s Brian Reith in a 3-1 loss to the Patriots at Citibank Park.

After racking up 26 runs the past three games, the Ducks could only muster seven hits against Reith. The right-hander’s only blemish came on Kevin Haverbusch’s sixth-inning RBI single. Reith improved to 3-0, striking out three in a brisk 2:19 contest.

“He really came at us hard with a lot of hard stuff,” LaPoint said about Reith after he induced 12 fly outs. “He won the game tonight. He shut the door.”

Leek also hummed through Somerset’s lineup. The exception was hot-hitting Brandon Larson, who recorded two of his team’s seven hits and scored twice. Larson entered batting .331 and started the second by lining a single. A walk and a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Matt Hagen lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Larson and David Housel drove in the second run.

Plate umpire Kareh Valentine, who was behind the plate during a 20-walk game at Citibank Park last month, called a couple of borderline pitches balls early in the game. Leek looked agitated on the mound and said afterward some of those early calls contributed to his shaky start.

“I just let my emotions get to myself there,” Leek said. “I let some calls that I thought were bad get to my head and I didn’t make good pitches. That’s my own fault. That’s me letting the team down and I can’t do that.

“I just need to start throwing better early in games. It’s been my downfall this year and it hurt us again.”

Added LaPoint: “Leek got a couple of balls up there in the second inning and they happened to hit them where we weren’t standing.”

Larson added a key insurance run, ripping a solo homer to left in the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0.

“He doesn’t swing at bad pitches,” Leek said. “He doesn’t swing at balls. He’s a good hitter and keeps the bat in the zone a long time. I just fell behind him.”

LaPoint said working with Leek during side sessions helped improve his delivery. The tinkering resulted in a two-game stretch when the southpaw has allowed just four runs in 17 innings.

“He was just rushing a little bit,” LaPoint said. “I think his arm might have been tired and he was trying to do a little more with his body. We had to slow his motion down a little bit and get him to throw the pitches where he wants them.”

Considering three of the starters carried ERAs over six into the contest and Leek’s outing helped preserve an overworked bullpen. Leek’s ledger fell to 3-2 despite walking just two in front of 5,416 fans.

“We had a good work session when we went to Lancaster and got all the kinks ironed out and he’s been able to put it into play the last two starts,” LaPoint said. “Another typical great job by Randy. The bullpen thanks him.”

The Ducks still dropped below the .500 mark, falling to 19-20 and back into last place in the Liberty Division. Brock Till pitched the final two innings to pick up the save.

Before the contest, the Ducks signed Carlos Castillo. The 6-3, 245-pound righty pitched for the Road Warriors last season and will join the rotation. Castillo adds depth the staff. Clint Nageotte is bothered by a knee injury and Jamal Strong was placed on the inactive list to attend to personal issues.

“We desperately needed a spot starter,” LaPoint said. “He throws everything from an upper-80s fastball to a slow curve that is about 50 miles per hour. He throws strikes and that’s all we’re going to ask him to do.”

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