Bridgewater, NJ. –In the final game of a four-game set between the Somerset Patriots and the Blue Crabs, the Patriot bats sporadically ignited, giving them just enough to pull away with a win. A trio of fourth inning runs were too much for the good guys to overcome, as they would see their hopes of splitting the series slip between their fingertips in a 4-1 Somerset victory.
The Blue Crabs starter, Brett Lee (L, 0-2), making just his second appearance for team found success early, retiring his first seven batters, but slipped up in the third and fourth innings. With one out in the bottom of the third inning, the Patriots had runners on the corners. When Brett Lee threw to first base on a pickoff attempt, Michael Crouse, the runner on third base, stole home to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead. The Patriots extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.
With one out, the Patriots added back-to-back singles, putting runners on first and second. Will Kengor then roped a double down the right field line scoring one run. Two batters later, Michael Ohlman drove in a pair of runs on a single to left field, giving the Patriots a 4-0 lead.
Ryan Kussmaul (W, 1-0) shined in his first start in a Patriots uniform. The right-hander allowed only one hit through the first five innings. But, in the top of the sixth inning, Frank Martinez and Jose Ruiz reached on consecutive singles. On the second pitch of the next at bat, Cory Vaughn lined a double into center field, scoring Martinez.
After allowing a flurry of hits, Kussmaul settled down and limited the damage to only one run in the inning. After the Blue Crabs tightened the score in the top of the sixth inning, neither team was able to muster another run for the duration of the contest. Mike Antonini (S,14) recorded the save for the Patriots, as they took home a 4-1 win.
The Blue Crabs will return home tomorrow, June 7th as they take on the Sugar Land Skeeters. That will be the first game of a seven-day, seven-game homestand at Regency Furniture Stadium, with the first pitch at 6:35 PM.
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 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 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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