(Waldorf, MD., Jun. 14, 2017) – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (29-23) were victorious over the Sugar Land Skeeters (24-27) 9-4, extending their winning streak to five games.
Southern Maryland got on the board early once again, scoring a run in the first inning for the second time in the series. Jose Lozada drew a walk to start the game, advancing to second on his eighth stolen base of the season. Zach Wilson came through with a one-out RBI single, scoring Lozada from second. Wilson’s team-high 39th RBI put the Blue Crabs ahead 1-0, before Criag Stem threw his first pitch of the day.
Stem worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the first, before running into trouble in the second inning. Bryan Pounds picked up the first hit of the afternoon for the Skeeters, a triple with one out. Johan Limonta followed, picking up a sacrifice fly to score Pounds from third, tying the game.
Southern Maryland took the lead back in the third, putting up another run off Brett Marshall. Edwin Garcia reached on a hit-by-pitch, moving to scoring position on a two-out single from Michael Snyder. Cory Vaughn scored Garcia on the next play, as a flair to shallow right field led to a misplay by Anthony Giansanti, as the error allowed the unearned run.
Sugar Land responded in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game on a solo shot from Derek Miller, his fourth homerun of the season. The starters traded scoreless innings, until Stem was lifted in favor of Rob Carson (3-2) to start the sixth inning. Carson gave up a lead-off single to Kevin Ahrens, before picking up two outs via a flyout and a groundout. Ahrens, who advanced to second on the fielder’s choice, stole third, during Hector Olivera’s at-bat, putting him 90 feet closer to scoring. He crossed the plate easily on the next pitch, as Olivera stroked a double, putting the Skeeters ahead for the first time in game. Wilfredo Rodriguez followed with a double off his own, scoring Olivera, and moving the Skeeters ahead 4-2.
Trailing for the first time in the game, the Blue Crabs offense came to life in the seventh inning, sending 11 batters to the plate in the inning. Lozada led-off with a walk, advancing to third on a Garcia single. After a Wilson strikeout, Snyder drew a walk to load the bases, and force the pitching change for Sugar Land. Andrew Johnston came on for Dustin Richardson (0-4), and walked the first batter he faced, scoring the first run of the inning. Devon Rodriguez followed with a single, scoring Garcia and tying the game. Zach Cone powered a broken bat single to left field, scoring two runs, and retaking the lead for Southern Maryland. Back-to-back singles followed, as Ryan Wiggins came through with a bases-loaded infield single, scoring Rodriguez, and pushing the lead to 7-4. Another pitching change for Sugar Land finally ended the inning, but not before the Blue Crabs batted around for the sixth time this season, putting up five runs off the Skeeters bullpen.
Cody Hebner worked around two walks in the bottom of the seventh for the Blue Crabs, with Jesse Beal worked a scoreless eighth inning. Southern Maryland added a little more insurance in the ninth, on a two-run homer from Cone. Cone picked up his third straight multi-hit game, while driving in four runs on the afternoon.
Beal came back out for the bottom of the ninth inning, working another scoreless inning to clinch the 9-4 victory. The win is the Blue Crabs fifth in a row, as they finish the six-game series in Sugar Land 5-1. Southern Maryland currently sits atop the Freedom Division, with a 0.5 game lead over the Lancaster Barnstormers, who play in Bridgeport tonight at 7:12 P.M.
The Blue Crabs return to action Friday, June 16th to for the series opener against the visiting New Britain Bees. Southern Maryland will send RHP Daryl Thompson (4-3, 2.95) to the mound, facing New Britain for the second time this season. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M. on Friday at Regency Furniture Stadium.