Waldorf, MD. – After dropping the front end of a scheduled twin bill on Saturday afternoon Southern Maryland had a tall task ahead of them to split the games and end their seven-game losing skid. This got even more difficult when the New Britain Bees posted five runs in the top of the first inning in game two. The Blue Crabs took the challenge head on and climbed the mountain to win a 10-8 thriller.
After losing 4-1 in the first of two games on the afternoon, and having zero comeback wins on the season, the Blue Crabs pulled out a masterpiece of a victory. Tommy Thorpe (ND, 0-0) got his first start of the season in game two of the double header, and didn’t get off to the beginning that the squad drew up, allowing five runs, three of which were earned in the first inning alone.
After one third of an inning from Miguel Nunez, Ryan Chaffee came in relief for, marking his second outing in the same day, a feat rarely achieved in the game of baseball. Chaffee took the rarity and ran with it going three innings strong, allowing just one hit, to keep the five run deficit facing the Blue Crabs at bay.
Southern Maryland tacked on a trio of runs in the third inning to make it a much more manageable game, two of which came on one swing, a home run to left field off the bat of Jon Griffin, marking his second blast of the doubleheader.
The gloomy day in Waldorf and the seven game losing streak still made for a bleak appearance heading into the fifth inning of a seven inning game.
And then Matt Dean and Rian Kiniry happened.
The duo incredibly both came up to bat with the bases loaded in the sixth inning alone, and each came through big. Dean started the scoring outburst with a bases clearing double to right field, putting the good guys ahead 6-5, and then Kiniry blew it open. Rian came through with a grand slam that erupted the fans at Regency Furniture Stadium, and notched the tally at seven runs in the sixth inning, putting the Blue Crabs ahead 10-5.
The Bees battled back in a roller coaster of a game to post three runs in the top of the sixth, but it wasn’t too much for Mat Latos (S, 1) to handle. The MLB veteran shut down New Britain as an elated Blue Crabs team would escape with 10-8 lead.
The Blue Crabs play again tomorrow, May 12th, against the Bees at Regency Furniture Stadium, first pitch at 2:05 PM.
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 call Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland home. The 12th franchise season will begin April 2019. For more information on the SOMD Blue Crabs, please call 301-638-9788 or visithttp://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.