Long Island Ducks Retake First Place From Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Long Island leads Southern Maryland; 2-1

I - SMD 1; LID 0

II - LID 5; SMD 4

III - LID 4; SMD 3

GAME FOUR

BLUE CRABS

vs.

DUCKS

MONDAY

Look Who's Number One, Again!

With the weekend series tied at one entering Sunday's action, a first-place standing continues hanging in the balance.  The formerly first-place Ducks surrendered their perch to the Southern Maryland Blue Claws.  Still, with yesterday's victory in game two, the Ducks began Independence Day just 0.5 games behind Southern Maryland.

The Blue Crabs score single runs in the third, fourth, and sixth innings for a 3-0 lead through the first five and a half innings of play.  In the meantime, Blue Crabs starter Mike Devine holds Long Island scoreless through the fifth.  

However, Devine becomes unraveled in the home sixth when first baseman Deibinson Romero, backstop Hector Sanchez, and right fielder Daniel Fields wield consecutive doubles for two runs.  Afterwhich, center fielder Breland Almadova singled home Daniel Fields with the tying run.

• BOXSCORE

• Atlantic League
  

After a scoreless seventh, the Ducks push across the game's decisive run in the eighth on a Hector Sanchez home run over the right-field fence, his seventh this season,

... and the packed house of 7,200 fans goes crazy!

Daniel Fields leads the Ducks going 3 for 4 with a double and three runs batted in.

Right-hander Michael Tonkin tosses a scoreless ninth inning for his seventh save.  Starter Clint Freeman escapes with a no-decision upon yielding three earned runs on five hits and six walks with five strikeouts through5.2 innings pitched.  Brady Dragmire strikes out two in two scoreless innings for the win in relief.

Southern Maryland reliever Andrys Briceno takes the loss.

With a second straight victory over the Blue Claws, the Long Island Ducks reclaim first place by one-half game over Southern Maryland.  The teams conclude their series on Monday at the Pond.

Long Island Ducks Bow To Honey Hunters In First Ever Visit to Gastonia

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

GAME ONE

Gastonia Honey Hunters   13

Long Island Ducks             11

FINAL/BOX

Home Team Holds Their Ground Against Long Island Invaders

After losing two of three on their home turf, the Flock makes their first-ever venture to Gastonia, North Carolina, where this weekend they open a three-game series against the expansion Honey Hunters.

Not a game for the faint of heart, Long Island starter Jhoendri Herrera allows seven earned runs on seven hits and four walks in just 2.2 innings pitched.  Gastonia starter Jeff Gause fares no better, surrendering seven runs (four earned) on eight hits and one walk in only 4.1 innings pitched.  He yields home runs to Ryan Jackson, first baseman Clint Freeman, and Johnni Turbo.  

With two runs in the top of the fourth, Long Island ties the game at seven.  However, facing Corey Howard in relief of Herrera, the Honey Hunters pull away with three runs in the bottom half of the frame.  

Before being dispatched to the showers, Jeff Gause surrenders his eighth run in the fifth.  Facing Carl Brice in relief of Gause, Ryan Jackson's sac-fly in the sixth brings the Ducks within one.  That is until Gastonia takes an 11-9 lead in the bottom of the sixth.

But you knew it wouldn't stop there.  After all, through the first six innings, Long Island scored in every inning but the second, and Gastonia scored in every inning but the fifth.  Be that as it may, Juan De La Cruz singles home Clint Freeman, and Steve Lombardozzi drives home another with a sacrifice fly to left field, tying the game at eleven.

However, Long Island's bullpen does not hold its ground.  Hector Cervenka surrenders the go-ahead run in the seventh, and Anderson DeLeon gives up an insurance run in the ninth en route to Gastonia's 13-11 win.  Cervenka takes the loss.

Clint Freeman leads Long Island with four hits, and Ryan Jackson leads Long Island with four runs batted in.

The first place Ducks still own a one-game lead over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

L.I. Ducks: The Monday Swim 6/7/2021

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Long Island def. Southern Maryland; 2-1

I - SMD 7; LID 0

II - LID 19; SMD 3

III - LID 5; SMD 1

Sunday, 6/6/2021 - On the heels of Saturday's 19 run rampage, the Long Island Ducks are limited to just four scattered hits through the first six innings of Sunday's affair.  Southern Maryland takes a 1-0 lead in the fourth on catcher Jake Marshall's run-scoring base hit.  But Long Island hurlers would yield no more.  Facing Blue Crabs reliever Patrick Baker in the seventh, Johnni Turbo is hit by a pitch, and two walks loaded the bases.  Catcher Hector Sanchez then clears the bases with a double to left field.  With two outs in the top of the ninth, pinch-hitter Ben Farias drives home two more runs giving the Ducks a 5-1 victory and two games to one series win.  Starter Clint Freeman surrenders one run on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts through five innings.  He exits on the losing side but is taken off the hook for the no-decision.  Jose Cuas earns the win in relief of Freeman, with three scoreless innings pitched and five strikeouts.  Michael Tonkin closes out the victory with a scoreless ninth.  Long Island gets back above .500 with a 5-4 record and trails the first-place Lancaster Barnstormers by just one-half game in the North standings.

⚾

With the departure of the Somerset Patriots, Sugar Land Skeeters, and New Britain Bees, so went the respective Liberty and Freedom division format.  Somerset was the last remaining charter member of the Atlantic League.  Their departure now makes the Long Island Ducks the senior-most member club.  The defending 2019 champions now share the North Division with the Lancaster Barnstormers, York Revolution, and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.  In the South Division, the High Point Rockers were established in 2019, while the Lexington Legends, West Virginia Power, and Gastonia Honey Hunters are all first-year members. 

The Ducks open a short three-game homestand against the High Point Rockers on Tuesday before heading back out on the road to York, Pennsylvania.

L.I. Ducks Take Series from High Point Rockers

From the desk of: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Duck defeat Rockers 2-1

I - HPR 6; LID 1

II - LID 4; HPR 2

III - LID 11; HPR 4

The much anticipated second-half showdown versus High Point goes to the Ducks.  After dropping Friday's opener at North Carolina, Long Island takes two straight from the Rockers and thus open a full one game Liberty Division lead.

On Sunday High Point leads 4-3 through five.  By the sixth however, the rout is on.  Long Island strikes for eight runs in the late innings en route to an 11-4 final margin of victory.  Lew Ford leads the hit parade with a 5 for 5 performance.  The Ducks stroke five extra base hits including home runs from Rey Fuentes and catcher Hector Sanchez.  Clint Freeman is 2 for 4 with three RBI.  All nine batters in the starting line-up record at least one hit, while seven players record multi-hit games as part of a 19 hit barrage.  Ducks starter Brandon Beachy earns his second victory since joining the fold despite yielding four earned runs on six hits and two walks through five innings with eight strikeouts.

The Flock return to the Pond where they open a four game series on Monday against the struggling Somerset Patriots whom are presently eight games below .500 and 5.5 games out of first.

Long Island Ducks Forge First Place Tie With High Point Rockers

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LIBERTY DIVISION SHOWDOWN

Ducks @ Rockers tied 1-1

I - HPR 6; LID 1

II - LID 4; HPR 2

GAME THREE

Long Island Ducks (18-16)

vs.

High Point Rockers (19-17)

FROM

BB&T Point Ballpark

Were it not for High Point yielding an unearned run in game one, the Ducks get shut out.  Even then recently acquired Ducks starting pitcher Brian Matusz fails to put fourth a quality start, surrendering three earned runs on three hits (including a home run) and five walks with three strikeouts through four innings pitched.  Third baseman Deibenson Romero accounts for three of Long Island's six game hits during Friday's 6-1 loss to the Rockers.

On Saturday Joe Iorio toes the rubber and is opposed by High Point starter Dominic DeMasi.  Staked to a 2-0 lead, the Rockers hurler keeps Long Island off the board through five.  But the Ducks break through with a pair in the sixth on Clint Freeman's double, D'Arby Myers hit, and an RBI each from L.J. Mazzilli and Lew Ford.  Dominic DeMasi exits a tie game after yielding two runs on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts through eight full innings pitched.  With two on and one out in the top of the ninth, a throwing error by High Point first basemen clears the way for two more Long Island runs and eventual 4-2 final margin of victory.  Paul Clemens pitching in relief of DeMasi is charged with the loss.  Long Island's bullpen trio of Cody Mincey, Pedro Beato, and Michael Tonkin, join together on 3.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball with one walk and two strikeouts.  Beato wins his third game, and Tonkin earns his seventh save.

With the victory Long Island both evens their weekend series and forges a first place tie with their hosts, the High Point Rockers.  The Ducks also snap a personal four game losing streak against the Rockers.  In fact, it is only their fifth victory over High Point this season in fifteen meetings to date.  Yet, the winner of Sunday's rubber game claims sole possession of first place, even if only for a day.  These team meet a final time for the last three scheduled games of the regular season at Bethpage Ballpark. 

Need I say more ...