Long Island Ducks Outlast the Rain and Staten Island Ferry Hawks

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE and THAT RICHMOND COUNTY TEAM

EMPIRE STATE
BATTLE OF THE BIRDS

Staten Island Ferry Hawks

vs.

Long Island Ducks

Ducks Rally After Rain Delay

Both starting pitchers walked off to no decisions.  In his second appearance with Staten Island since arriving from the Lancaster Barnstormers, left-hander Augie Sylk allowed one run on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.  Long Island right-hander Ryan Meisinger yielded one run on nine hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings.  

Left fielder Antoine Duplantis drove in the game's first run in the top of the fifth.  Catcher  Andres Noriega delivered home the Ferry Hawks' second run in the top of the sixth.  Duck first baseman Jose Sermo singled home a run in the bottom half of the frame.

Then came the rain ...

When play resumed, the Ducks rallied for three runs in the eighth.  Five-year major league veteran Tzu-Wei Lin singled home a run, and right fielder Phil Caulfield doubled home two giving Long Island a 3-2 lead and the final margin of victory.

Right-handed reliever Victor Capellan took the loss.  Long Island's Wladimir Pinto earned his first win as a Duck, and in the ninth, Tyler Webb struck out the side to earn his twelfth save.

 

Staten Island Ferry Hawks Outlast Long Island Ducks

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE & THAT RICHMOND COUNTY CLUB

EMPIRE STATE
Battle of the Birds

Long Island Ducks

vs.

Staten Island Ferry Hawks

Ferry Hawks Take Second Straight 

Right-hander Matt Solter climbed the hill for Staten Island up against Cody Beckman for the Ducks.  Both turned in near mirror image performances but only one walked away with the win.

The Ferry Hawks scored first on designated hitter Justin O'Conner's RBI base hit in the fourth.  With two outs in the sixth, Long Island tied the game on a Sam Travis hit. 

Left fielder Antoine Duplantis doubled home the go-ahead run in the seventh, and scored on a wild pitch for a 3-1 Ferry Hawk final margin of victory.

Staten Island center fielder Ricardo Cespedes finished 3 for 4 with a walk and run scored.

Starter Matt Solter earned the win, allowing one run on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts in sseven innings.  Right-hander Joe Kuzia pitched a scoreless eighth, and Victor Capellan closed out the ninth for his seventh save.

Cody Beckman allowed one run on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in a six-inning tough luck loss.  Boxscore

 

Staten Island Ferry Hawks Turn Tables on Long Island Ducks

From the desk: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE & THAT RICHMOND COUNTY CLUB

EMPIRE STATE
Battle of the Birds

Long Island Ducks

vs.

Staten Island Ferry Hawks

Native New Yorker Defeats Long Island in Game Two

The Ferry Hawks achieved a modicum of revenge on the heels of Monday's defeat to the Ducks.  

Left fielder Alejandro De Aza scored Long Island's lone run in the fourth on a double-play ball as Staten Island held the Ducks to just one run on seven hits to even the series at a game apiece.

Tuesday's pitching matchup featured Akeel Morris for Long Island against Anthony Rodriguez for Staten Island.  The native New Yorker held the Long Islanders to the lone run on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts for the win.  He improved to 3-4 with a still unsightly 6.44 ERA.  Morris yielded four earned runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in six innings for the loss.

Two members of the Ferry Hawk bullpen allowed no hits over the final three innings to close out the win.  Right-hander Victor Capellan pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Second baseman Dilson Herrera doubled home two runs in the first.  Left fielder Antoine Duplantis 

singled home a run in the second, and designated hitter Mariel Bautista's sac-fly to right field delivered home Staten Island's fourth run of the game.

The series shifts back to Long Island for games three and four.

Staten Island Ferry Hawks Pluck Long Island Ducks

From the desks: THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE & THAT RICHMOND COUNTY CLUB

EMPIRE STATE

BATTLE of the BIRDS

Long Island Ducks

vs.

Staten Island Ferry Hawks

Staten Island Evens Series With Long Island

After being shut out on Tuesday, left-handed Bronx native Anthony Rodriguez set Staten Island on a winning course in game two.  The Ferry Hawk starter kept Long Island scoreless on just two hits and one walk through the fifth inning.

Facing Duck right-hander Scott Harkin, the Ferry Hawks opened the scoring on designated hitter Joseph Reyes' double in the second.  Reyes then doubled home his second run of the game in the fourth.  In the fifth inning, Antoine Duplantis and Angel Aguilar each delivered home a run giving Staten Island a 4-0 lead.

Left fielder L.J. Mazzilli spoiled the shutout with a home run to left/center field, leading off the top of the sixth inning.  Reliever Sandy Baez then took over pitching duties for Long Island in the bottom of the sixth.

Right-hander Connor Law entered the game in the top of the seventh in relief of Anthony Rodriguez.  

Long Island's Chad Hockin entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and yielded a run-scoring double to Ricardo Cespedes, extending Staten Island's lead to four.

After a scoreless eighth, Staten Island's Victor Capellan closed out the ninth.  Anthony Rodriguez earned his second win of the season.  Scott Harkin took the loss.

• Boxscore: Ducks 1; Hawks 5
• Game One