Long Island Ducks Set Single Season Win Record; Capture Second Half Flag

From the desk of: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

LONG ISLAND DUCKS

LIBERTY DIVISION SWEEP
First Half Champion   ~   Second Half Champion

Blown slightly off course by a three game losing streak, the Flock finally gain their franchise record 83rd victory of the season at Southern Maryland on Wednesday.  Their previous single-season record of 82 victories was set twenty years ago during the Ducks inaugural season on Long Island.

Upon Thursday's conclusion of their series with the Blue Crabs, Long Island heads back home to Bethpage Ballpark where they'll host the High Point Rockers in this weekend's final series of the regular season.

Season Finale

HIGH POINT ROCKERS vs. LONG ISLAND DUCKS

FROM

BETHPAGE BALLPARK

The Ducks capture the first half Liberty Division flag with a 43-27 record, one game ahead of the Somerset Patriots.  On Wednesday they clinch the second half title with a 40-26 record, and a 6.5 game lead over the second place New Britain Bees.  Long Island's sweep of the division standings now necessitates a wild card entrant for rounding out the post-season's final field of four.  The High Point Rockers presently lead the wild card race over the Sugar Land Skeeters, followed closely behind by the New Britain Bees.  The upcoming playoffs will also mark the first time in the last five seasons Long Island and Somerset will fail to meet in the Liberty Division championship series.

Long Island has appeared in six of the previous eight Atlantic League championship series.  After bowing to York in 2011 the Ducks storm back in 2012-2013 to win back to back titles.  Then in 2016 they lose the first of three straight championship series against the Skeeters, Revolution, then a second time against the Skeeters.

Speaking of which, Sugar Land Skeeters capture the Freedom Division's first half flag by one game over the York Revolution.  But York turns the tables in the second half clinching the title by 4.5 games over Sugar Land.  The two will square off in the Freedom Division playoffs due to kick off next Tuesday.

Should the Ducks prevail against their first round opponent, an intriguing rematch against either Freedom Division foe lay ahead.

On Thursday the Ducks salvage a four game split against the Blue Crabs at Southern Maryland.  That now gives Long Island 84 victories for the season, and counting.  Hector Sanchez plates Long Island's first run in the top of the first, and Deibinson Romero doubles home the Ducks second run of the game in the fourth.  Starter Vin Mazzaro and Long Island's bullpen take care of the rest.  Mazzaro allows just two hits and three walks with six strikeouts through six scoreless innings for his eleventh victory of the season against only four losses with a 3.61 ERA.  Relievers Felix Carvallo, Rob Rogers, and Myles Smith, join in limiting the Blue Crabs to no runs on just two hits and no walks with two strikeouts over the final three innings to complete Long Island's whitewashing of Southern Maryland.

• Atlantic League
• Long Island Ducks

I still find it rather remarkable that Long Island should endure having the contracts of numerous pitchers selected from their roster (Tim Melville; Tim Adleman; Sean Nolin; Jon Niese; George Kontos; Michael Tonkin; to name a few), yet still enter the final series of the regular season second in all the Atlantic League with a 3.79 team ERA.  Lest we forget on June 4, Darin Downs has his contract selected by Los Acereros del Norte (Mexico).  Thank goodness he resigns with the Ducks ten days later because I'm not sure where they'd be without him.  It would behoove the Ducks to proceed with caution as well, as Downs spent time this month on the injured list.

L.I. Ducks: Monday Swim 7/29/2019

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

Ducks defeat Patriots 2-1

I - LID 1; SOM 0

II - SOM 8; LID 3

III - LID 4; SOM 1

Par for the course ... the Ducks waddle into their Monday break with an 8-8 record, which for the moment is good enough for first place of the Liberty Division.  The High Point Rockers trail Long Island by 1.5 games, while the New Britain Bees and Somerset Patriots lay two games back.

In the latest showdown between the Ducks and Patriots, Long Island takes two of three.  If you recall Long Island overcame perfection in extra innings of game one on Friday.  Somerset bounces back with an 8-3 victory on Saturday.  The Ducks take Sunday's rubber game in comeback fashion with a burst of runs late in game three.

Somerset opens the scoring in the first when shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez tags from third on catcher Mike Ohlman's sac-fly to left.  They cling to their one run lead through the seventh.  Long Island finally breaks through with three runs in the eighth on a two run home run from T.J. Rivera, and an RBI single from Daniel Fields.  With two outs in the top of the ninth Rey Fuentes connects on his eighth home run of the season giving the Ducks a 4-1 final margin of victory.

Making his fourth start Seth Simmons yields one run on just two hits with five walks and seven strikeouts through six innings pitched, but departs on the losing side of a one run affair.  Rob Rogers earns the victory in relief of Simmons with two scoreless innings of three hit ball with two strikeouts.  Michael Tonkin fans two in a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.

• Steve Lombardozzi is presently on the 10-day IL as of 7/23.
• Ducks closer Enrique Burgos had his contract purchased by Leones de Yucatan.  Burgos made 29 appearances for the Ducks, posting a 4-2 record and 2.43 ERA, with 13 saves and 49 strikeouts through 29.2 innings pitched.

Next stop on Long Island's road trip is New Britain where a three game series awaits against the Bees.