(Central Islip, N.Y., Sept. 8, 2017) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Bridgeport Bluefish 6-5 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Bethpage Ballpark.
Bridgeport took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-out, two-run home run to center field by Welington Dotel off Ducks starter Jake Fisher. Long Island answered back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out, two-run double to right by Elmer Reyes off Bluefish starter Ross Seaton.
Two more runs came home for the Flock in the fifth to give them a 4-2 advantage. Delta Cleary Jr.’s RBI double to left with one out and Angelo Songco’s RBI single to center with two outs highlighted the inning.
The Bluefish closed to within one in the sixth when Angelys Nina hit a two-out RBI single to left. It stayed 4-3 until the top of the eighth when Bridgeport sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs to take a 6-4 lead. A sacrifice fly to right by Nina and RBI singles by Ozney Guillen and Luis Hernandez did the damage.
Long Island tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, as Marc Krauss launched a two-out solo homer to right-center. However, the Ducks could not pull even.
Neither starter factored into the decision. Fisher pitched six innings of three-run ball in his Ducks debut, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out three. Seaton lasted six innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Drake Britton (4-1) collected the win after pitching a scoreless seventh inning, yielding two hits and striking out one. James Jones (0-1) took the loss, surrendering two runs on two hits in the eighth. Manny Delcarmen picked up his seventh save despite allowing a run in the ninth.
Reyes led the Flock with two hits and two RBI, while Krauss added two hits an RBI and a run. Both Songco and Alex Burg had two hits as well.