L.I. Ducks: Late Rally Gives Lexington Legends 2-1 Championship Series Lead

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

LEXINGTON LEGENDS

vs.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

GAME ONE    GAME TWO

Failure to Convert Early Inning Opportunities Comes Back to Haunt Ducks; Legends Seize 2-1 Series Lead With Eighth Inning Rally

With Lexington, Kentucky, hosting their first-ever Atlantic League championship series game, Game Three pits right-hander Scott Harkin for Long Island against J.J. Hoover pitching for the Legends.

SCORING OPPORTUNITIES LOST

The Ducks threaten early but keep coming up empty.  They load the bases in the first but leave all runners stranded.  Catcher Hector Sanchez doubles with one out in the second and advances to third but is also left stranded.  Then with two outs in the third and Vladimir Frias, the base runner at second, L.J. Mazzilli singled to left field, but Frias is thrown out at home attempting to score.

As fate would have it, Lexington opens the scoring on catcher Christian Correa's home run leading off the bottom half of the third.

DUCKS TWICE OVERCOME DEFICIT

After getting set down in the fourth, center fielder Boog Powell ties the game in the fifth with his second home run of the playoffs.

But Lexington retakes the lead with two runs in the home sixth on a walk, a fielder's choice, a wild pitch, and Juan Silverio's two-run base hit.

Scott Harkin exits on the losing side after allowing three runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts through six.  Meanwhile, J.J. Hoover leaves on the winning side, allowing one run on just four hits and two walks through six innings.

Long Island's Dylan Peiffer and Henry Owens for Lexington twirl a scoreless seventh.

With two outs in the eighth, L.J. Mazzilli singles, and Deibinson Romero ties the game with a two-run blast to left field.

BULLPEN IMPLOSION

Wally Backman turns to Frank Moscatiello, who pitched well in Game Two for the bottom of the eighth.  After retiring his first two batters, Moscatiello walks the next batter prompting another change by Backman.  But Wally's maneuverings backfire.  Southpaw Darrell Thompson yields three consecutive hits as the Legends plate three runs en route to a 6-3 lead and the final margin of victory.

Frank Moscatiello takes the loss for walking the potential go-ahead run.  Scott Harkin escapes with a no-decision.  Henry Owens earns the victory in relief of Hoover, and Austin Adams earns his second save.

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