STATEN ISLAND, NY – In the middle of a heated pennant race, the Blue Crabs needed to bounce back after dropping the opening contest on Tuesday. Going with their stellar starter, Ian Kahaloa, it was up to the offense to start and even out the series.
At the top of the first inning against Ofelky Peralta, the Blue Crabs applied some pressure early on the FerryHawks starter. With the bases full of Blue Crabs, K.C. Hobson got a five-pitch walk to force home Ian Yetsko. Hobson would get his second RBI later with his single into left field.
The defense made a few critical errors behind Kahaloa; a sacrifice fly would get Staten Island on the board after Ricardo Cespedes got to third on two separate errors by Southern Maryland. Then, a third error would occur the next inning, and a double from Cespedes tied up the game in the bottom of the fifth at two apiece.
Top of the seventh and with two outs, Khalil Lee singled to plate Jack Sundberg, and the Blue Crabs had a lead again. Lee would steal second base, and with two runners in scoring position, Jimmy Kerrigan gave the Crabs some breathing room as he supplied a two-RBI single. The Blue Crabs had built up a three-run cushion after six and a half innings.
Ian Kahaloa went into the seventh but was removed after getting an out, and Blue Crabs Manager Stan Cliburn called upon Andre Scrubb to slow down the Hawks. The Crabs gave up one run but got the run right back after Isaias Quiroz crushed his team-leading 17th home run of the season.
Bruce Rondón locked up the save, and the Blue Crabs moved back into second place with the Hawks. Southern Maryland is also just one game out of first place with the win; the series wraps up on Thursday with Spencer Johnston starting on the bump. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.