L.I. Ducks: Look Who's Number One ... Again

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Ducks Lead Series 2-1

I - YRK 8; LID 4

II - LID 3; YRK 1

III - LID 8; YRK 5

IV - THURSDAY

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: It's not how you start, it's how you finish ... just ask the Patriots.

The Ducks have swam these waters before, and each time handed first place back to the Somerset Patriots.  The trick now is to stay in first before the first half expires in short time.

On Wednesday, Long Island won their second straight over the visiting York Revolution, building an 8-2 lead through eight innings until the Revolution made them sweat out an 8-5 final after the ninth.

Starter Bruce Kern followed Darin Downs' Tuesday gem with a fine performance of his own, limiting the Revs to a pair of runs on seven hits and no walks, with five strikeouts though seven full innings of work.  He faced 30 batters, and threw 93 pitches with 67 (72%) going for strikes.  Kern now boasts a 1.98 ERA with 45 strikeouts over 45.1 innings this season.

Fehlandt Lentini, the league's 3rd leading hitter, paved the way going 3 for 4 with a 3-RBI triple, and four RBI overall.  Catcher Mike Dowd was 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI.

LIBERTY DIVISION

Ducks       37-29

Patriots    36-30

Coupled with Somerset's 8-7 loss against the New Britain Bees, the Ducks now own a full game lead over the Patriots in the Liberty Division standings.

Somerset has lost seven of their last ten games.  They have gone 23-30 since jumping out to a 13-0 start.

The Ducks and Revolution will resume hostilities in Thursday's series finale.