L.I. Ducks: Losing Altitude

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Flock's Lead Down to Two Games 

With Five to Play

Long Island Ducks: Struggles Continuing Through the Final Stretch.

Like a piano falling out of the sky ...

Long Island's untimely struggles continued Tuesday evening in Lancaster where the beleaguered Flock dropped their sixth straight contest, this time against the Barnstormers.  While no consolation, the Ducks at least have the Skeeters to thank for putting the breaks on Bridgeport's recent surge with a 5-0 whitewashing of the Fish in Sugar Land.

As a result of Tuesday's loss, Long Island's once comfortable Liberty Division lead over the Bridgeport Bluefish is now down to just a pair of games, with five games left in the regular season.

Tuesday's starter John Brownell pitched 6.2 innings in a losing effort, allowing three earned runs on six hits and three walks, with three strikeouts.  The Ducks offense, however, is only averaging 2.4 runs per game over their last eight.  It's no coincidence, then, the Ducks have scored the third least runs in the league, and own the third lowest team average.

Just saying ...

The York Revolution, Lancaster Barnstormers, and Sugar Land Skeeters, were all victorious Tuesday, so the logjam atop the Freedom Division standings continues.  The Revs own a two game lead over Lancaster, and a three game lead over Sugar Land.  Be sure that the Ducks will have their hands full with York and Sugar Land.

Meanwhile, after wrapping up their present series against Sugar Land, the Fish close out the regular season at home against a coasting Patriots team.  Somerset may attempt to set up their rotation for the post-season, perhaps affording Bridgeport an easier day at the office than otherwise expected.

Leading the Freedom Division

The Somerset Patriots and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs were the Atlantic League's first-half champions of their respective divisions.