L.I. Ducks: 2019 Atlantic League Championship Series Preview

From the desk of: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE

ATLANTIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

GAME ONE

Sugar Land Skeeters

vs.

Long Island Ducks

FROM

THE POND

The much anticipated rematch between Long Island and Sugar Land is on.  This marks the second straight Atlantic League championship series meeting between clubs, and their third confrontation in the last four years.  Sugar Land defeated the Ducks in 2016 to win their first ever league title.  Last season they again defeat Long Island in five games for their second title in three years.  The Skeeters are making their fourth ever championship series appearance in only their eighth year as an Atlantic League member club.  The Long Island Ducks are of course celebrating their 20th anniversary season.  This marks their eighth ever championship series appearance, and fourth in a row.  The bad news is since 2016 they've lost three straight championship series.

• 2016: Sugar Land defeats Long Island
• 2017: York defeats Long Island
• 2018: Sugar Land defeats Long Island

Sugar Land wins the Freedom Division first-half championship with a 35-35 record.  In the second-half they finish second to York with a 37-31 record.  Overall the Skeeters finish with a 72-66 record.  The Skeeters defeat York in the Freedom Division championship series, three game to one.

Long Island sweeps the Liberty Division regular season, winning pennants in both halves with identical 43-27 records.  Their 86-54 overall record sets Long Island's all-time single season record for wins.  They defeat the High Point Rockers in the Liberty Division championship series three games to none.

The Ducks win 14 of 20 regular season games this season against the Sugar Land Skeeters, but only narrowly outscore them by a 91-88 margin.


SCOUTING THE SKEETERS

• RF - Denis Phipps: 448 AB (.261/.350/.458) 21 HR; 81 RBI
• LF - Zach Borenstein: 360 AB (.267/.347/.447) 16 HR; 67 RBI
• 3B - Juan Silverio: 488 AB (.293/.358/.447) 14 HR; 68 RBI

• SP - Troy Scribner: 3.68 ERA in 122.1 INN; 1.32 WHiP; 127 K
• SP - Dallas Beeler: 3.86 ERA in 144.2 INN; 1.52 WHiP; 97 K

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

RUNS:            S.L. #2; L.I. #5
TEAM AVG:    S.L. #3; L.I. #5
OPS:               S.L. #4; L.I. #5
HR:                 S.L. #3; L.I. #4

ERA:               L.I. #2; S.L. #4
WHiP:             L.I. #2; S.L. #4
Strikeouts:      L.I. #1; S.L. #2
Saves:            L.I. #1; S.L. #5


DUCKS STARTERS vs. HIGH POINT ROCKERS

• Darin Downs:  6.1 INN; 2 ER; 3 H; 3 W; 7 K
• Vin Mazzaro:  8 INN: 0 ER; 2 H; 4 W; 10 K
• Seth Simmons:  7 INN; 1 ER; 2 H; 2 W; 9 K

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.

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.