Central Islip NY. –Southern Maryland had a rare chance over the course of a long baseball season to have back-to-back days off, and a rejuvenated Blue Crabs team took the trip north to the Big Apple to take on the Long Island Ducks. It looked like the Blue Crabs were going to come away victorious until the Ducks’ bats caught fire in the eighth, and walked it off an inning later.
Daryl Thompson (1-1) got the ball for the Blue Crabs and was his normal self in what was a stellar outing. The right-hander allowed just one run in the early going, coming from a solo homerun from former Blue Crab and Washington National, Steve Lombardozzi in the second inning.
Southern Maryland evened the scoring in the following inning when Craig Maddox drove in Angelys Nina with a sacrifice fly, making it the fifth time in eight games played that Nina had scored the team’s first run. The teams traded runs over the next couple of innings before an explosion of offense in the sixth for Southern Maryland.
A pair of singles and a Long Island error lead to one run for the Blue Crabs, and Rubi Silva kept it going. Silva, who entered the game with an Atlantic League best nine game hit-streak, extended it in a big way. The Blue Crabs’ right fielder went four for five on the day, including an RBI single in the sixth that had the good guys up 5-2 come the end of the inning.
It was the eighth inning that spelled some trouble for Southern Maryland, and it started when Thompson exited the game after allowing the first Duck batsman of the inning to reach on a single. Adam Choplick (0-0) relieved Thompson, and three straight Long Island singles and a walk scored two runs to spell the end of Choplick’s evening. Tommy Thorpe came in place of Choplick, and after walking in the tying run, the left-hander induced a double play and a ground out to keep the game even at 5-5 heading into the final inning.
A leadoff single didn’t come around to score for the Blue Crabs in their half of the ninth, but a leadoff walk proved costly for Southern Maryland in the bottom half, as a Kirk Nieuwenhuis single sent the Ducks home victorious in walk-off fashion.
The Blue Crabs return home on May 10th for a seven day home stand, beginning with the New Britain Bees.
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.