L.I. Ducks: Home Run Happy Lexington Legends Clinch Atlantic League Championship

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

LEXINGTON LEGENDS

vs.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

GAME ONE    GAME TWO    GAME THREE

Lexington Left Fielder Courtney Hawkins Hits Three Home Runs in Rout of Ducks; Legends Clinch 2021 Atlantic League Championship

Faced with elimination and surrendering their claim to the Atlantic League title, the Ducks entrust Joe Iorio with starting Game Four against right-hander Zac Westcott for the Legends.  

But the Long Island native is walloped early and often by Lexington - too early for Wally Backman to make a move, and too late for all intent and purpose as the Legends explode for thirteen runs and deposit seven baseballs beyond the outfield wall.

The Legends promptly jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back home runs by left fielder Courtney Hawkins and first baseman Denis Phipps.  

Long Island gets one back.  Left fielder L.J. Mazzilli leads off the second inning with a single and later scored on Chris Shaw's base hit to center field.  

But the Legends answer right back in the bottom of the frame.  Joe Iorio yeilds consecutive singles, and with one out, right fielder Ben Aklinski hits the Legends' third home run of the game.  Second baseman

Brandon Phillips then drives in the inning's fourth run for a 6-1 lead.

Joe Iorio exits the game after pitching a scoreless third.  He allows six earned runs on eight hits, including three home runs, and one walk.  

Duck right-hander Anderson DeLeon fares no better.  Lexington's lineup greets him with consecutive singles leading off the home fourth and a three-run home run off the bat of Courtney Hawkins, his second of the game.  Not yet done, designated hitter Ben Revere hits a one-out home run to deep right/center field, Lexington's fifth home run of the game for a 10-1 lead.

With one out in the top of the fifth, Boog Powell takes first base on a hit-by-pitch and later scores on Steve Lombardozzi's sacrifice fly.  

Right-hander Brendan Feldmann holds Lexington scoreless in the bottom half of the frame.

Leading off the home fifth inning, Courtney Hawkins hits his third home run of the game!  Then with one out and a runner on first, shortstop Roberto Baldoquín hits the Legends' seventh home run of the game giving Lexington an insurmountable 13-2 lead and their ultimate margin of victory.

The Ducks split the first two games at Long Island.  Afterwhich, the Legends take two straight at home.

After winning back-to-back titles in the South Atlantic League, the Lexington Legends in ther first season in the Atlantic League are 2021 champions.

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.

• BOXSCORE

L.I. Ducks: Flock Takes Game Two; Series Shifts to Lexington Knotted at One Apiece

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

LEXINGTON LEGENDS

vs.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

GAME ONE

Ducks Bullpen Silences Legends Over Final Six Innings While Bats Mount Comeback; Series Tied at One

Game Two features right-hander Francisco Jimenez for Lexington facing off against Darin Downs for host Long Island.

Downs gets himself into immediate trouble but pitches out of harm's way.  Lexington opens the game with consecutive singles, and after a pop-up, Downs walks the bases loaded.  Afterwhich, Downs induces an infield pop-up and strikes out catcher Christian Correa to end the threat.

Center fielder Boog Powell homers over the left/center field fence leading off the home first.  Shortstop

Vladimir Frias follows with a double, and Steve Lombardozzi singles putting runners at the corners.  The ageless Lew Ford drives home Frias, and with L.J. Mazzilli at the plate, Lombardozzi scores on a wild pitch.  Mazzilli then walks, and Deibinson Romero singles to reload the bases.  However, Chris Shaw bounces to first for a 3-2-3 double-play.  But Sal Giardina picks up his mate with a base hit, scoring Mazzilli for a 4-0 Duck lead.

Lexington answers back in the second.  With the bases loaded, Brandon Phillips singles home a run. Deibinson Romero's error at third then leads to a pair of runs, and a sacrifice fly plates the game-tying run. 

Lexington starter Francisco Jimenez was removed after the first inning, and Wally Backman pulled Darin Downs after the second.

Boog Powell draws a leadoff walk in the home second, and Vladimir Frias follows with his second double of the game.  Lombardozzi's sac-fly scores Powell from third as the Ducks retake a 5-4 lead.

Facing reliever Brady Dragmire in the third, the Legends score three times, highlighted by Brandon Phillips' two-run home run, for a 7-5 Legend lead.

Dragmire tosses a scoreless top half of the fourth, and the defending champions then begin chipping away.  A Brandon Phillips error leads to a pair of unearned runs in the home fourth, Chris Shaw drives home a run in the fifth, and L.J. Mazzilli knocks home a run in the sixth for a 9-7 Duck lead.

Long Island's bullpen keeps Lexington scoreless over the final six innings.  Relievers Frankie Moscatiello and Rob Griswold join together in limiting the Legends to just one hit and no walks with four strikeouts over the last 4.1 innings of the game.  Moscatiello tosses 2.1 innings for the win, and Griswold completes a six-out save.

• Vladimir Frias; 5 for 5, 2 runs scored.
• Lew Ford; 2 for 5, 2 RBI.
• Ducks Pitching: 10 strikeouts, 4 walks.

Long Island salvages a split at The Pond and now will head to Lexington, Kentucky, where on Monday, the series resumes.  The Ducks need to win two of three games to retain their Atlantic League title.  Former members of the South Atlantic League, the Lexington Legends, are vying for their first Atlantic League championship.  Like the Ducks, Lexington in 2019 captured the Sally League flag.

• BOXSCORE

L.I. Ducks: Lexington Legends Take Game One of Championship Series at The Pond

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

LEXINGTON LEGENDS

vs.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

Lexington Legends Bullpen Lockdown Ducks

Game One features New Jersey native Eli Garcia toeing the rubber for Lexington against right-hander

Brendan Feldmann for the Ducks.  Both pitchers are knocked out of the box early.  Garcia fails to make it out of the third, and Feldmann is relieved in the fourth.

Lexington opens with single runs in the first and second innings.  Legend left fielder Courtney Hawkins

homered in the first.  Two hits and a hit by pitch loaded the bases in the second, and a sac-fly gave Lexington a 2-0 lead.  

Long Island catcher Hector Sanchez singles opening the home third, and a pair of walks issued to Ty Kelly and Boog Powell loaded the bases.  With one out, Steve Lombardozzi's sac-fly to right field scores Sanchez.  Left fielder Lew Ford singles on a comebacker and advances two bases on an errant throw to first; both Kelly and Powell score.  Right-fielder L.J. Mazzilli then singles home Ford for a 4-2 Ducks lead.

But Long Island's lead is fleeting.

Brendan Feldmann surrenders a leadoff double, followed by two consecutive walks to load the bases in the top of the fourth.  Wally Backman then summons Anderson DeLeon from the bullpen, who promptly unleashes a wild pitch allowing home a run.  A second run crosses home on a sac-fly, tying the game at four.  Both runs are charged to Feldmann.

The Lexington bullpen shuts out the Ducks, beginning in the fourth through eighth innings.  Meanwhile, the Legends bunch together three hits and benefit from a throwing error resulting in two runs in the sixth, then tack on their seventh run in the eighth.

Trailing 7-4 entering the home ninth, Boog Powell draws a leadoff walk, and shortstop Vladimir Frias singles putting runners at the corners.  Steve Lombardozzi looks at strike three, and Lew Ford goes down swinging.  L.J. Mazzilli walks to load the bases, after which Deibinson Romero draws yet another walk to force home Powell from third.  With two outs and the bases still jammed with Ducks, designated hitter Chris Shaw lifts a ball deep into the right/center gap chased down and caught by center fielder Cole Sturgeon for the game's final out.

Four members of Lexington's bullpen join together in limiting the Ducks to one run on five hits and five walks with three strikeouts over the final 6.1 innings.  Shawn Blackwell earns the win in relief of Garcia, and Austin Adams earns a troublesome save, but a save nonetheless.

Duck right-hander Dylan Peiffer takes the loss.

BOXSCORE

L.I. Ducks: With Game Three Win Over Southern Maryland, The Flock Advances to Championship Series

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

NORTH DIVISION PLAYOFF

SOUTHERN MARYLAND BLUE CRABS

vs.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

GAME ONE     GAME TWO

The still defending Atlantic League champion Long Island Ducks set out defending their title on Monday against the Southern Mayland Blue Crabs in the first game of the North Division playoff series at the Pond.

Long Island won their fourth-ever Atlantic League championship in 2019, but then, of course, last season was canceled due to COVID.  The Ducks captured the North Division first-half flag this season with a 37-23 record, six games ahead of second-place Southern Maryland.  The second-half flag was more tightly contested and decided in the season's final weekend, with the Blue Crabs edging out the Ducks by one game.

The Ducks finished the regular season with a league-best 68-52 overall record, while Southern Maryland finished with a 63-57 record.

 

Ducks Defeat Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to Clinch North Division Flag; Long Island To Face Lexington Legends in Championship Series

Game Three at Southern Maryland features Blue Crab right-hander Daryl Thompson, who led the Atlantic League with a 16-3 record and 3.20 ERA, against Long Island native Joe Iorio who placed second in league with 13 wins against two losses with a 4.65 ERA.

The Ducks rally during the early innings.  

Center fielder Boog Powell opens the game with a base on balls.  Steve Lombardozzi follows with a single to left field, and with two outs, L.J. Mazzilli knocks in Powell.  

First baseman Chris Shaw doubles leading off the second and moves to third on Hector Sanchez's

single to left field.  Shaw then scored on Ty Kelly's sac-fly.  Afterwhich, Zach Collier's misplay in center field clears the way for Sanchez to cross home.  

Steve Lombardozzi and the ageless Lew Ford wield consecutive singles to open the third, and with runners at the corners, Mazzilli's sac-fly to center field gives Long Island a 4-0 lead.

Southern Maryland finally catches up to Joe Iorio in the fifth.  With two outs, Iorio yields two walks and two hits that result in a pair of runs.

Long Island recovers a run in the top of the sixth on Chris Shaw's second home run of the playoffs.  But the Blue Crabs snap right back with two more runs in the bottom half of the frame and knock Joe Iorio out of the box.  Right-hander Brady Dragmire finishes out the sixth.

Southpaw Darrell Thompson hurls a scoreless seventh inning.  Wally Backman then summons Rob Griswold, who twirls a scoreless eighth.  Blue Crab shortstop Jordan Howard, who ended the frame on a comebacker to Griswold, got into a shouting match with the entire Ducks dugout, causing both benches to empty without incident.

The Ducks are set down in order in the top of the ninth as Blue Crab reliever Endrys Briceno completes a second scoreless inning in relief.

Rob Griswold goes back out for the ninth.  With one out, Chris Shaw fails to handle Rubi Silva's liner to first for an error.  But the Ducks close out the game in spectacular fashion when Zach Collier grounds into a 6-4-3 double play, Vladimir Frias, to Lombardozzi, to Shaw.

Griswold earns a six-out save.  Joe Iorio earns the win, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts.  Three Long Island bullpen members join together in limiting the Blue Crabs to no runs on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts over the final 3.1 innings.

In defeating the league's winningest pitcher, the Long Islanders win the North Division flag two games against one and advance to their fifth consecutive Atlantic League championship series.  

The Ducks will now defend their 2019 title against the awaiting Lexington Legends. 

BOXSCORE

L.I. Ducks: Flock Strikes Back; Force Decisive Third Game in North Division Series

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

NORTH DIVISION SERIES

SOUTHERN MARYLAND BLUE CRABS

vs.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

BOXSCORE GAME TWO

Scott Harkin Tosses Gem to Force Decisive Game Three Against Blue Crabs

Needing to force a third game in the North Division series, Long Island right-hander Scott Harkin does just that by hurling a gem in game two against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

Harkin allows just four hits, none for extra bases, and no walks with six strikeouts over 7.0 innings for the win.  He faces 26 batters and throws 99 pitches, with 64 going for strikes.  Frankie Moscatiello

allows just one hit and fans three in a scoreless eight-inning, and Dylan Peiffer throws a no-hit, no-run ninth inning to complete the shutout from out of the bullpen.

Facing Southern Maryland starter Kolton Mahoney, Long Island strikes for an early run in the first.  Second baseman Steve Lombardozzi singles home Boog Powell.  With two outs in the second and runners at the corners, Boog Powell lays down a bunt fielded by the pitcher who throws to first;  Deibinson Romero scores on the play giving the Ducks a 2-0 lead.

Long Island adds two in the sixth on runs batted in by catcher Hector Sanchez and Chris Shaw.

Chris Shaw singles home his second run in the eighth, and with the bases loaded, Steve Lombardozzi draws a walk forcing home Shaw.  Right fielder Ramon Flores knocks in the Ducks' seventh and final run in the visitor's ninth.

Kolton Mahoney allows four runs on seven hits and four walks in 5.1 innings for the loss.

Boog Powell leads Long Island with three hits, and Deibinson Romero goes 2 for 3 with two walks and four runs scored.

GAME ONE