(Sat, April 29, Waldorf) The rain finally washed away after the opening game of the Blue Crabs 2023 season was pushed back to today; the Crabs would play a doubleheader against the Lancaster Barnstormers on a Saturday.
The Barnstormers were the first team to scratch across a run after Joseph Carpenter hit a backside double off of Daryl Thompson, the pitcher of the year would work his way around danger and leave it at just one run.
In the next two innings, Southern Maryland got hot and capitalized on mistakes by their opponent. It all started with the Crabs loading up the bases and one line drive off the bat of Michael Wielansky into the sun to blind Trayvon Robinson to lose the ball and deflect off his glove as three runs crossed the plate by the error. David Harris drove in Wielansky a few batters later. Catcher Ryan Haug would blast a home run in the next frame to make it 5-1.
The Barnstormers tallied one run in back-to-back innings to cut back into the lead; in the bottom of the sixth, Southern Maryland scored three runs to put the nail in the coffin as the Crabs won 8-3, giving Daryl Thompson his 150th professional win.
Game two took a different turn, as Mitch Lambson and Jared Lakind exchanged scoreless frame after scoreless frame for the first half of the game. In the home half of the third, Wielansky drove in Ian Yetsko in a sacrifice fly and gave them an early lead. It was a triple from Wielansky that extended the lead 2-0.
Lambson carried a no-hitter for five innings until Andretty Cordero hit a solo blast; Jacques Pucheu and Andre Scrubb would wrap it up and give the Crabs a doubleheader sweep over the Barnstormers to start the year.
The Blue Crabs go for the series sweep tomorrow, with the first pitch coming at 2:05; you can buy tickets at here. Tickets or stream all games on FloSports.