Long Island Ducks Look to Close Out Camden Before Showdown Against Patriots

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Last tune up before showdown against Somerset Patriots.

Long Island Ducks: Calm Before The Storm - Flock Needs a Good Game in Series Finale Against Camden to Set Tone for Showdown Versus Somerset Patriots.

Game One: John Brownell Dominates Riversharks in Series Opener

Sunday

Camden Riversharks

vs.

Long Island Ducks

FROM

The Pond

The Ducks and visiting Camden Riversharks split a double-header Saturday, thus ending Long Island's 6-game winning streak.

In the opening game, Coach Baez tabbed Sergio Perez for another short start.  He tossed 2 innings, allowed no runs and no hits, walked 3 and fanned two before giving way to Bruce Kern.

Kern in turn, threw 3 innings, allowed no runs on just one hit, walked one and fanned 3 to earn the victory.

Camden's lone run came in the 6th inning off reliever Patrick Crider.

Delta Cleary Jr. was one man show in the 3rd inning as Long Island rallied for 3 runs off Riversharks starter Zachary Clark.  Cleary singled home Dan Lyons and Bryan Sabatella, then stole second base, and scored on Cody Puckett's RBI single.

After leading off the 4th with a base hit, Jose morales eventually scored the Ducks' 4th run on a wild pitch.  In the 5th, Cody Puckett drove in Delta Cleary Jr. for a second time to give the Ducks their final 5-1 margin of victory.

In the night cap, Camden roared back to post their 15th victory of the season, and snap Long Island's winning streak at 6 games.

Ian Marshall made 109 pitches in a conventional start for Long Island, but battled with control issues. He lasted 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits and an untenable 7 walks, while fanning 5 batters.  Eric Niesen entered the game in the 6th in relief of Marshall and surrendered another 3 earned runs, but the damage had already been done.

Long Island only managed a run in the 4th, and an unearned run in the 9th, in bowing 7-2 to the Riversharks.  Dan Lyons and Mike Blanke delivered the run scoring hits.

Lew Ford Tracker:
4th in batting - .351
3rd in OBP - .434
2nd in slugging - .577
1st in RBI - 31

The Ducks and Riversharks conclude their 4-game series this afternoon.  After which they'll get 2 days off, then head to Somerset for a 4-game showdown against the 1st place Patriots.

This will be the team's first meeting of the season.

Somerset remains the hottest team in the league.  They're the lone Atlantic League team left with single-digit losses.  They enter today's action with a 20-8 record, and are winners of 8 of their last 10 games.  The Ducks are 6-4 in their last 10 games, and enter this afternoon's game in 2nd place of the Liberty Division with a 16-13 record, 4.5 games back of 1st, and with the Bridgeport Bluefish also on hot on their tail feathers.




Mike