CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — Sitting in his office following Wednesday’s victory, manager Dave LaPoint smiled when asked if it’s easy to manage a game with a double-digit lead.

“I was thinking about it. There are no really easy games,” LaPoint said at the time. His words proved prophetic last night.

The Ducks jumped out to an eight-run lead entering the eighth inning. But LaPoint needed Mother Nature to register a key hold. Southern Maryland scored seven runs against three relievers in the eighth as the bullpen put in a Mets-esque performance; turning a 10-1 game into a 10-8 contest.

The Blue Crabs started the ninth with consecutive singles, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate with none out before the umpires called for the tarp to be placed on the field. The timing of the call infuriated Crabs manager Butch Hobson, and a nearly two-hour rain delay ensued before the final inning resumed after midnight.

Charlie Weatherby came in following the long and controversial delay and produced a strikeout. A fielder’s choice scored Pat Osborn, cutting the deficit to one. Weatherby then got Jeremy Owens to pop out to second, ending the game and preserving a 10-9 victory that took almost six hours in real time to complete.

Only a a fraction of the 6,113 fans at the sold-out Citibank Park crowd stayed for the start ninth after heavy rain bombarded the field for most of the contest. After the Crabs mini rally, the umpires decided the field had become unplayable and called for the tarp shortly after 10, prompting Hobson to argue for the continuation of the inning.

The Ducks played through the dampness and lightning for much of the evening before the break and were able to take the opener of a three-game set and move 1 ½ games over the Blue Crabs in the Liberty Division.

The wackiness started early when Ducks scored two first-inning runs and put five men on base without a base hit. Brad Whitworth lasted just 2/3 of an inning. The lefty walked two and hit a batter to load the bases. He then walked Richard Hidalgo and Damian Rolls to force in two runs before scheduled starter Keith Ramsey came in relief and forced a pop out to limit the damage.

The Ducks extended the lead the following inning, capitalizing on a leadoff error to ignite a rally. Nook Logan lined a RBI single and Pete Rose Jr. added a run-scoring single. Ray Navarrete added a sacrifice fly, opening a 5-0 edge.

Rob Sandora, starting once again for All-Star catcher Jamie Pogue, drilled his second homer of the season in the fifth. His three-run shot in the fourth forged an eight-run lead, seemingly more than support for starter Lance Davis.

Davis pitched six innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just four hits and one walk. – gave up one run in the seventh, a seemingly innocuous run at the time. But Ryan Knippschild imploded in the eighth, recording just one out. Back-to-back singles brought up Pat Osborn, the Atlantic League’s RBI leader.

Osborn padded his numbers, ripping a towering three-run homer to left for RBIs 90, 91 and 92. Knippschild hit Clint Johnson before giving up Chris Maples’ two-run homer. Travis Wade fared no better, giving up a walk and double before exiting for Grezlovski.

The righty logged a big strikeout, whiffing Adam Shorsher with runners on second and third. George Sandel plated another run via an infield single and John Ramistella hit a RBI double, putting the tying runs in scoring position. Grezlovski recovered by forcing a groundout as the Ducks headed back to the dugout to the sounds of the derisive cheers from the sparse remaining crowd.

Grezlovski started the ninth and allowed Osborn and Johnston to single. He did not come back after the delay, allowing Weatherby to pick up his first save of the season.

Just like Wednesday’s win over Lancaster, the eighth and ninth hitters combined for five RBIs. Kevin Haverbusch went deep in Wednesday’s game, appearing to bust out of a slump after LaPoint dropped him to ninth in the order.

Haverbusch again batted ninth and hit another homer, hitting a two-run homer in the seventh with what appeared to be just tack-on runs. It turned out to the game-winning it, allowing the Ducks to win for the seventh time in the past nine games, although a far more controversial victory than usual.

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