(Sunday, April 30) After a rainy morning, the Blue Crabs and the Barnstormers were slated to play the final game of the opening series. Southern Maryland pitched the left-hander Sandro Cabrera while Lancaster went with former Padre Dom DiSabitino.
The Crabs wasted no time scoring, as second baseman Michael Wielansky hit his first home run of the year as it caught into the netting outside the pool in left field; they would score another from an Alex Crosby two-out RBI single.
The top of the second would wash away the Blue Crabs' bottom of the first, as shortstop Jake Hoover got a two-RBI single off the giant blue wall to tie it up. In the upper half of the fifth, Andretty Cordero drove a ball 398 feet to center as Sundberg made the catch, but motoring around third was Melvin Mercedes as he turned it into a two-RBI sacrifice fly and gave Lancaster the lead 4-3.
The bottom of the seventh, trailing 5-3 after a Lancaster run in the top of the frame. After a leadoff walk to Wielansky, the Crabs got hot, as Braxton Lee and David Harris hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game 5-5. The Barnstormers turned to their bullpen with left-hander Brian Marconi to face Crosby. Crosby battled the southpaw and finally got a fastball he drove into left to give the home team the lead 6-5.
Isaac Mattson turned in his second scoreless appearance and got the hold in the eighth, and the closer Andre Scrubb shut down Lancaster in the ninth to secure saves in back-to-back games.
With the win the Crabs sweep the Barnstormers to open the 2023 season, they will carry their 3-0 start against the Gastonia Honey Hunters, who are also coming off a sweep of their own.
The Blue Crabs go for the series sweep tomorrow, with the first pitch coming at 2:05; you can buy Tickets here or stream all games on FloSports.