NEW BRITAIN, CT – It didn’t take long for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to get on the board by scoring four runs in the second inning and defeated the New Britain Bees 6-5 in 11 innings on Friday night at New Britain Stadium.
The bats came early when Michael Snyder doubled in the top of the second followed by a massive two run home run by Jamar Walton. Four more hits came when Blue Crabs Angel Flores, Eric Garcia, Steve Lombardozzi, and D’arby Myers kept the inning going and extending the lead 4-0.
It was all going according to plan for Blue Crabs starting pitcher Gaby Hernandez well into the 7th. He was going deep into the game and sparing the bullpen, while tossing a shutout. It came apart quickly in that 7th inning, as Hernandez gave up three hits and two runs. Jovan Rosa kick started the inning with a double, Michael Crouse singled to left field, Jon Jones hit a RBI double and Rosa and Crouse jogged home cutting the lead 4-2. Carrillo stepped up and hit a long RBI single to knock Jones in for another run making it a one run ball game. Hernandez was pulled after pitching six and two thirds innings.
Blue Crabs reliever, Navery Moore tried holding the Bees to two runs but struggled in the eighth when he gave up the tying run on a RBI single by Crouse. Moore faced six batters, walking two, allowing one run, and two hits and the dynamic of the game completely changed.
But in the top of the ninth the Blue Crabs were able to take the lead again when Blue Crabs Michael Snyder reached first base on an error by Rosa that scored Gary Brown.
The Blue Crabs didn’t hold on to the lead for very long when New Britain answered in the bottom of the ninth tying the game with a two out solo home run by James Skelton, marking his first home run at home this year.
In the top of the 11th inning, Steve Lombardozzi singled to center field, and Zach Wilson reached first base on an error by the short stop, New Britain’s second error of the night. Michael Snyder hit a line drive single to center field, bringing in Lombardozzi and the Blue Crabs took the lead 6-5.
New Britain’s Craig Maddox struck out swinging for the last out of the game and the Bee’s fell to the Blue Crabs leaving runners in scoring position. These two teams will square off tomorrow for game two of the series. The first pitch is set for 6:35 P.M.
