FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2019
Contact: Andrew Bandstra
301-638-9788, Ext. 208
[email protected]
Somerset Squeaks Away From Series Sweep
Waldorf, MD – The Blue Crabs came into Sunday afternoon’s game with the Somerset Patriots looking to sweep the series, but the Patriots’ bats prevailed, scoring 11 runs on 13 hits en route to an 11-5 victory.
The Blue Crabs started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Cory Vaughn led off the inning with an infield single, before stealing second base. The next batter, Tony Thomas, lined a base hit into right-center field, scoring Vaughn and giving the Blue Crabs a 1-0 lead.
The Somerset Patriots responded in the top of the third inning, an inning in which Michael Kelly struggled with his control. After walking three of the first four batters of the inning, John Hayes (L, 1-4) entered the game in relief with the bases loaded and still no outs. Hayes kept the damage to a minimum, as the Patriots came away with only two runs in the inning.
Southern Maryland’s offense shined again in the bottom of the third. With one out, Edwin Garcia doubled on a line drive to center field. Joe Benson then chopped a ground ball up the middle, scoring Garcia and tying the game at 2-2.
The Somerset Patriots’ bats clicked in the top of the fourth inning. Craig Massey led off the inning with a base hit. Hayes then hit Alfredo Rodriguez with a pitch before walking Scott Kelly, loading the bases with no outs. Justin Pacchioli then ripped a ball so hard that it entered Hayes’s glove and took it off, and the ball dropped to the ground to score a run and give the Patriots a 3-2 edge. The Patriots scored four more runs in the inning, extending their lead to 7-2.
The Blue Crabs got one run back in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kent Blackstone tripled to right-center field to lead off the inning. He later came in to score on a ground out to second. Both pitching staffs settled down from there, as the score remained 7-3 going into the ninth inning.
The ninth inning was a high scoring affair, the Patriots plated four while Southern Maryland plated two, and Somerset squeaked away from a Blue Crabs series sweep on an 11-5 victory.
The Blue Crabs will return home tomorrow, Monday August 5th for the series opener of a three game set with the Long Island Ducks, and a 6:35 p.m first pitch.
Catch all Blue Crabs home games on the Blue Crabs Broadcast Network, live streamed on YouTube (@SOMDBlueCrabs) Facebook (@SOMDBlueCrabs) and Twitter (@BlueCrabs).
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.
###