Long Island Ducks Force Decisive Game Five at Sugar Land

From the desk of: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Series Tied; 2-2

I - LID 7; SLS 5

II - SLS 7; LID 0

III - SLS 7; LID 5

IV - LIC 3; SLS 2

ATLANTIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

GAME FIVE

Long Island Ducks

vs.

Sugar Land Skeeters

FROM

LONE STAR STATE

The Atlantic League championship series is now a one game affair to be decided Sunday evening at Constellation Field.

After two straight losses, manager Wally Backman tasks Brandon Beachy with staving off elimination.  He is opposed by Sugar Land starter Chase De John.

Seeking out a third straight victory, the Skeeters waste no time mounting an opening rally.  After consecutive hits leading off the first, designated hitter Denis Phipps clears the bases with a triple for an abrupt 2-0 lead.  Undeterred Long Island recovers a run in the third on hits from Deibinson Romero, Vladimir Frias, and D'Arby Myers.  The Skeeter maintain their slim one run edge until L.J. Mazzilli doubles leading off the sixth, then scores on David Washington's two out line drive single to right.

After a well pitched duel, both starters exit to no decisions.  Chase De John yields two earned runs on eight hits and no walks with four strikeouts through 5.2 innings pitched.  Brandon Beachy likewise allows two earned runs on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts through six full.  He faces 25 batters, while throwing 88 pitches with 59 (67%) going for strikes.  Three Skeeters relievers join to hurl 3.1 scoreless innings through the ninth.  Joe Iorio matches them with three scoreless innings of no-hit ball and three strikeouts.

And into extra innings they go at Sugar Land ...

With reliever Josh Martin summoned to pitch the tenth, L.J. Mazzilli strokes a one out single, then steals second base.  Hector Sanchez reaches safely on a fielder's choice when Josh Martin fields a come-backer but botches the throw.  With runners on the corners Deibinson Romero's sac-fly to center plates Mazzilli with the go-ahead run.  Wally Backman hands of to Cody Mincey whom fans his first two batters and induces a pop out to first base ending the game.  Joe Iorio earns the victory, while Mincey secures his second save of the series.

For s second straight season, the Long Island Ducks and Sugar Land Skeeters push the championship series to a fifth and deciding game.

• ATLANTIC LEAGUE

Long Island Ducks Capture Fourth Straight Liberty Division Flag

From the desk of: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LIBERTY DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Ducks defeat Rockers; 3-0

I - LID 8; HPR 7

II - LID 8; HPR 1

III - LID 3; HPR 2

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

LIBERTY DIVISION CHAMPIONS

STARTER SETH SIMMONS HURLS GEM; DUCKS COMPLETE THREE GAME SWEEP

There's a reason why in baseball circles they say get to good pitchers early before they get you.  Because once they settle in, you're done.  Those words never rang more true than Friday evening at Bethpage Ballpark.

High Point starter Joe Van Meter enters game three recognized among the Atlantic League's best.  But the Ducks waste little time staking their lead.  With two outs in the bottom of the first, Lew Ford singles through the left side, L.J. Mazzilli doubles to left, and with two runners in scoring position Hector Sanchez clears the bases with a hit to center putting Long Island up by two.  Van Meter then retires the next seven batters until yielding a inconsequential single to Mazzilli in the fourth.  Van Meters then retires another twelve consecutive batters.  After which thing go awry as the Ducks pick up what proves to be the game's decisive run.  With one out in the last half of the eighth Van Meter yields consecutive singles to D'Arby Myers, Rey Fuentes and Vladimir Frias, loading the bases.  Steve Lombardozzi then lofts a sac-fly to right scoring Myers.

Rockers second baseman Michael Russell triples leading off the fifth, and scores on designated hitter  Tyler Ladendorf's ground ball to first.  In the top half of the ninth Ducks reliever Cody Mincey surrenders a crowd quieting lead-off home run to left fielder Quincy Latimore cutting High Point's deficit to one.  But Mincey regroups to retire the next three batters, striking out Tyler Ladendorf to end the game and earn the save.  Long Island starter Seth Simmons pitches masterfully, allowing one earned run on just two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts through seven innings for the victory.  He faces 27 batters and throws 109 pitches with 72 going for strikes. 

The victory gives the Long Island Ducks their fourth straight Liberty Division championship.

So far it's been a very happy 20th anniversary season!  Now it's on to the championship series.

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 ...

L.I. Ducks Overcome Perfection in 10th Against Somerset Patriots

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

We Interrupt this Perfect Game to Bring You This

FRIDAY

Ducks    1

Patriots  0

10 innings

Somerset Patriots starter Rick Teasley faces 27 Long Island batters and retires them all in order.  No runs, no hits, no walks, no errors; the man pitches a perfect game through nine full innings with seven strikeouts.  He throws 110 pitches with 75 going for strikes.  Problem is neither the Patriots nor the Ducks manage any runs within the game's first nine frames.  The scoreless deadlock necessitates extra innings which unfortunately tags Rick Teasley with a hard luck no decision.

Vladimir Frias is the obligatory runner at second base to begin the tenth.  Ezequiel Carrera successfully bunts Frias to second.  Center fielder D'Arby Myers then singles off Somerset's Tyler Cloyd plating Frias from third.  Ducks relievers Cody Mincey and Michael Tonkin close out the Patriots in the bottom half of the frame walking one and striking out three.  Mincey earns the victory for pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless ball with three strikeouts, and Tonkin earns his third save of the season.