Skeeters Take Series Opener Over Blue Crabs
Waldorf, MD - After winning two of three against the New Britain Bees, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs looked to continue their strong play against the Skeeters. Sugar Land struck early and often and spoiled the Blue Crabs magnificent run, as Southern Maryland was unable to make up the deficit in a 10-7 loss.
Michael Kelly (L, 3-6) struggled in the top of the first inning. After Rico Noel drew on a walk, Wynton Bernard reached base and with runners on first and second, Jason Martinson hammered a homer over the mini monster in left field, giving Sugar Land a 3-0 lead.
The score remained 3-0 going into the top of the third inning. Noel reached first base on a walk and two batters later, Jason Martinson worked another walk. With Noel leading off of third base, and Martinson standing on first base, Zach Borenstein launched a three-run homer to left-center field, giving the Skeeters a 6-0 lead.
The Blue Crabs responded in the bottom of the fourth inning. With Sugar land leading 7-0, Southern Maryland’s offense heated up. After Joe Benson singled and Cory Vaughn walked, Charlie Valerio ripped a double off the wall in right field, scoring both runners and cutting the deficit to 7-2.
The Skeeters added two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 9-2 lead. But the Blue Crabs battled back again. With Rubi Silva leading off of second base, Jon Griffin roped a double into the right-center field gap, scoring Silva. Southern Maryland added two more runs in the inning, cutting the deficit to 9-5.
Sugar Land got one run back in the top of the sixth inning to take a 10-5 advantage. The Blue Crabs offense clicked in the bottom of the seventh. With Vaughn leading off second base, and Valerio on first, Tony Thomas drove a triple into the right-center gap corner, cutting Sugar Land’s lead to 10-7. The Skeeters turned to Ricardo Gomez (W, 1-0) who shut the door in the eighth inning.
Matt West (S, 3) came in for the Skeeters in the bottom of the ninth inning. After allowing a two-out double, West settled down to record the final out, giving Sugar Land a 10-7 win.
The Blue Crabs will return home tomorrow, Saturday July 19th, for a game two of a three-game set with the Sugar Land Skeeters, and a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Christmas in July night.
Catch all Blue Crabs home games on the Blue Crabs Broadcast Network, live streamed on YouTube (@SOMDBlueCrabs) and on Facebook (@SOMDBlueCrabs).
About the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
The Blue Crabs play 140 regular season games in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs. The Blue Crabs, in their 12th season of baseball, call Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland home. For more information on the Blue Crabs, please call 301-638-9788 or visit http://www.somdbluecrabs.com for more information.
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
With eight teams in the Mid-Atlantic and Texas, the ALPB is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. Through its exclusive partnership with MLB, the Atlantic League tests Major League Baseball rules and equipment initiatives. The Atlantic League has sent over 900 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 40 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 22-year history.
For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.
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