(Waldorf, Md., Aug. 12, 2017) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 9-5 on Saturday night in a rain-shortened eight-inning contest at Regency Furniture Stadium. The win was extended the Ducks’ season-long winning streak to nine games.
The Ducks (20-15; 56-49) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the third against Blue Crabs starter David Russo, and Ruben Gotay delivered a two-run single to open the scoring. Elmer Reyes added an RBI double in the frame to push the Ducks lead to 3-0.
In the top of the sixth, Long Island broke the game open with a six run outburst against three Southern Maryland (13-22; 51-53) pitchers. Quintin Berry highlighted the frame with a two-run single, while Giovanny Alfonzo, Delta Cleary Jr. and Derrick Pyles all had run-scoring hits to give the Ducks a 9-0 lead.
The Blue Crabs fought back in the bottom of the seventh, scoring five runs against John Lannan to narrow the gap to 9-5. In the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Crabs threatened against Patrick Crider, but he was able to escape the two-on, two-out jam.
Right as the top of the ninth was about to get underway, heavy rains began and the tarp was brought on to the field. After a 30-minute delay, the game was called due to inclement weather.
Jake Dunning got the win for Long Island after throwing five shutout innings to improve to 1-0 on the season. David Russo got tagged with the loss to fall to 0-2 after yielding six runs in 5.1 innings.
Gotay led the offense by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Berry went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, two walks and two runs scored.
The Ducks complete their four-game series against the Blue Crabs on Sunday afternoon.First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. from Regency Furniture Stadium. Fans can follow all the action on the Long Island Ducks Broadcast Network. Live streaming HD video and audio will be available via BoxCast on the Ducks’ official Facebook page, YouTube channel and at LIDucks.com. Right-hander Alfredo Simon (2-3, 4.67) gets the start for the Ducks against Blue Crabs righty Eric Fornataro (0-4, 6.28).
Long Island returns home on Friday, August 18 to open up a three-game series against the Lancaster Barnstormers. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Bethpage Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Drawstring Bags, courtesy of Fairfield Properties. It’s also a Fowl Pole Friday, and if a select Ducks player hits a home run off one of the foul poles during the game, one lucky fan will win $50,000. In addition, a Barnstormers player will be selected as the Pizza Hut K-Man of the game. If that player strikes out, fans will receive a special offer for a FREE 1-Topping Personal Pan Pizza at a participating Pizza Hut location. Tickets to the game, and all Ducks home games, are available by visiting the Bethpage Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE.
The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. For further information, call (631) 940-DUCK or visit www.liducks.com.
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 37 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population.
For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.