Staten Island Ferry Hawks Take Series From Long Island Ducks

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE and THAT RICHMOND COUNTY TEAM

EMPIRE STATE
BATTLE OF THE BIRDS

Staten Island Ferry Hawks

vs.

Long Island Ducks

Ferry Hawks Ruffle Ducks' Feathers

Long Island seemingly picked up where they left off in game two, as first baseman Jose Sermo singled home a run to give the Ducks a prompt first-inning lead.  But the Ferry Hawks preyed upon five Long Island pitchers starting with Stephen Tarpley's offerings until knocking him out of the box in the sixth.  By then, it was already too late.  Staten Island erupted for four runs in the second, two in the third, and two more in the top half of the fifth before the Ducks mustered a response with four runs in the bottom half of the frame on Deibinson Romero's grand slam home run.  Afterwhich, the Flock was held scoreless through the ninth.  Meanwhile, Staten Island kept piling on with single runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, then, for a grand finale, tallied three times in the ninth to cap off a 14-5 victory and take the series two games to one.

S.I. Ferry Hawks

• 3B Bryan Gonzalez: 3 for 6, one RBI
• 2B Javier Betancourt: 2 for 6, double, home run, four RBI
• 1B Cristopher Cespedes: 2 for 3, home run, two runs batted in, three runs scored
• C Justin O'Conner: 2 for 3, three walks, home run, five runs batted in, two runs scored

Staten Island starter Matt Solter won despite yielding five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings pitched.  The Ferry Hawk bullpen closed the game with four scoreless no-hit, no-walk innings.  BOXSCORE