Bridgewater Township, NJ- The Blue Crabs headed into a series finale against the Somerset Patriots with their collective eyes set on avoiding a sweep. A defensive battle that swung in favor of the opposition wouldn’t satisfy Southern Maryland’s hopes as the affair would go down as a 3-1 Patriot victory.
David Kubiak (W, 6-1) put a terrific season on the line in a start against the Blue Crabs and came out victorious. Southern Maryland’s nine hole hitter, Josh McAdams gave Somerset the lone scare of the afternoon in the top of the third inning. McAdams put a jolt into a Kubiak offering and sent it out of the ballpark, putting the good guys up by one score early.
With Michael Kelly on the mound, the right-hander with an ERA better than 2.50 as a starter this season, Southern Maryland knew coming in that at the very least their opponents’ offense would be dampened. Outside of a long-ball in the bottom of the fourth from the Blue Crab killer himself, Michael Crouse, Kelly was nearly spotless as he would hand a 1-1 contest to James Dykstra (L, 1-1) after six terrific innings that included just three Somerset hits.
Somerset’s defensive backstop, Yovan Gonzalez proved to be an offensive presence as well when he lofted a single to center field to score the go ahead run in the form of Justin Pacchioli off of the right arm of Dykstra in the bottom of the seventh. A wild pitch would bring home another run in the inning to put the Patriots on top 3-1 heading into the latter stages.
Southern Maryland was able to muster just two hits in the game, both from McAdams. Kubiak proved to be a forced to be reckoned with as he tossed a complete game, giving the Patriots a sweep on a 3-1 win.
The Blue Crabs will return home on June 21th for the first game of six-game homestand that will begin against the High Point Rockers with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.
Be sure to vote your Blue Crabs to the 2019 Atlantic League All-Star Game, just click: www.atlanticleague.com/allstarvoting
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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