(Waldorf, MD., Jun. 6, 2017) – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (23-21) took the series opener against the York Revolution (17-27) 5-4, with Michael Snyder delivering a walk-off double in the ninth.

The Blue Crabs threatened immediately, with back-to-back singles from Edwin Garcia and Michael Snyder preceding a Cory Vaughn hit-by-pitch, loading the bases with two outs. York’s starter, Steve Janas, homerun was able to force a fly ball, stranding three in the first inning. The Revs took that momentum to the top of the second, with Michael Burgess delivering home run to put them ahead 1-0.

Southern Maryland responded in the bottom of the inning, putting up a run of their own. Zach Cone led off the inning with a double, before stealing third with one out. One pitch after the stolen base, Luis Alen shot a fly ball to deep center field, allowing Cone to score easily and tie the game at 1-1.

The Revs took the lead back in the third, rallying with two outs, as Alonzo Harris doubled to score Travis Witherspoon. The lead held until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Blue Crabs put up two, taking their first lead in the game. Zach Wilson drew a walk with one out in the inning, with Cory Vaughn following him with a two-run homerun, putting them ahead 3-2.

The lead didn’t last long, as starter Drew Hayes gave up his second homerun of the day to the lead-off man in the sixth. Witherspoon connected on a solo shot way out of left-center field, putting up his second homerun of the season. The Blue Crabs bounced right back, taking the lead back with the help of an error. Alen got aboard with one out, after a nasty hop skipped past the third baseman. He then stole second, before Garcia drove him in on a two-out single to left-center, putting Southern Maryland ahead 4-3.

York never quit, rallying late in the top of the eighth inning. Harris drew a walk, advancing to second on an Angel Franco single. Burgess followed with a single of his own, scoring Harris easily, and putting runners on the corners with just one out. Reliever Zack Thornton forced a fly ball to shallow right field, before picking up a strikeout to hold the game at 4-4.

A scoreless bottom of the eighth set up a dramatic ninth inning, the perfect ending to what was a back and forth game all night. Cody Eppley (1-2) came on to pitch the top of the inning, tasked with keeping the game tied. Eppley picked up a strikeout, before back-to-back singles put a runner in scoring position for the Revs. Witherspoon popped out to second, before Harris locked Eppley in a battle for the third out, with Eppley eventually winning out and getting a groundball back to himself.

Southern Maryland wasted no time in the bottom of the ninth, with Garcia and Snyder teaming up once again. Garcia fought off a fastball back up the middle, singling to start it off. Snyder was up next, and fell behind 1-2, before connecting on a double to the left field wall. Garcia was off on contact was waved around third, sliding safely into home for the winning run.

“I had faced that guy a couple of times before, so I had a pretty good idea what he was going to throw me,” said Snyder. “Edwin did a great job in front of me, and I just waited on my pitch, and put the barrel on it.”

The 5-4 victory is the Blue Crabs first walk-off victory of the season, and improves the team to 23-21 on the season. They remain second in the Freedom Division, trailing Lancaster by just 1.5 games.

The Blue Crabs return to action Wednesday, June 7th for game two against the Revolution. Southern Maryland will send RHP Brian Grening (2-1, 3.05) to the mound, looking to lock down the series win. He will matchup up with York’s LHP Frank Gailey (5-3, 4.60), who beat the Blue Crabs back in April. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M. on Wednesday at Regency Furniture Stadium.