Late Inning Magic Propels Patriots
Waldorf, MD – The Blue Crabs got a fantastic start from Daryl Thompson (L, 13-7) who tossed seven innings while allowing just one run, but the Southern Maryland dropped a 7-0 contest after a heavy dose of Patriot offense in the late innings.
A low scoring game was to be expected considering the pitching matchup, and the sun beating down on a hot Sunday afternoon in Waldorf, Maryland. Thompson took on Liam O’Sullivan (W, 5-7), and the right-handers who came in with the eighth and ninth best ERA’s in the Atlantic League battled it out.
The Patriots struck first in their half of the fourth inning. Will Kengor doubled to lead off the frame, accounting for each of the Patriots first two hits in the contest. With one out, Edwin Espinal singled up the middle to bring Kengor home and gave Somerset a 1-0 advantage. Espinal and Kengor each finished with a trio of hits, and Espinal drove in five runs in the contest, his most as a Somerset Patriot.
The Blue Crabs lost out on primetime scoring opportunities in the first and sixth innings. With one out in the first Edwin Garcia and Josh McAdams singled (Southern Maryland only had one hit after those two in the entirety of the contest), but Garcia was thrown out trying to advance to third, and Southern Maryland would come up empty. The next scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the sixth. Travis Witherspoon drew a leadoff walk, and Kent Blackstone tried to bunt him into scoring position, but Espinal made a nice play to throw out Witherspoon, and Blackstone was later caught stealing.
Despite losing his streak of 11 straight starts with a win, Daryl Thompson allowed just one run in seven innings, and his five strikeouts put him on pace for 169, which would break the Atlantic League record if he stays on pace. O’Sullivan was very good in his own right, the starter tossed a complete game shutout while allowing just three hits.
After Thompson exited, the bullpen that is typically fantastic struggled, as the Blue Crabs have throughout this series in the latter innings of contest. After heeding six runs in the final three innings, the Blue Crabs found themselves having allowed just four combined runs in innings one through six in this series, while giving up 15 in innings seven through nine.
Despite a fantastic start from Thompson, just three Blue Crabs hits and a whole lot of late offense from Somerset gave them the 7-0 victory, and a series deciding game three.
The Blue Crabs will return home Friday August 30th for the series opener of a four game set with the York Revolution, with a 5:05 p.m. first pitch with game two of a double header to follow.
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.
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