Blue Crabs earn series win in Somerset
Wiggins grand slam lifts team to win in rubber match
Over the weekend the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs put together another strong series thanks to solid pitching, defense and timely hitting.
The Blue Crabs wrapped up the three-game series on Sunday evening with a 6-1 victory over the Somerset Patriots in New Jersey at TD Bank Ballpark.
Southern Maryland (51-47 overall, 13-16 second half) produced a five-run fourth which proved to be just enough to take the series rubber match over the Patriots.
It shut out Somerset 5-0 in game two on Saturday after falling in the series opener on Friday, 1-0. The series win marked the second straight series that the Blue Crabs had won.
“The last two nights that we won we just had timely hitting and got strong pitching,” said Blue Crabs manager James Frisbie. “It was just great to see everyone contribute and pick each other up in the series. If we continue to play the way we did we can beat anyone in this league.”
The Blue Crabs were scheduled to kick off the first of a three-game road trip on Monday in Long Island, but the series opener was postponed due to inclement weather. The game was moved as part of a doubleheader on Tuesday with the first game kicking off at 6 p.m., while the second game is set to start at 8:30 p.m. The the series finale was scheduled for tonight at 6:35 p.m.
On Sunday, the Patriots (5642, 14-14), the first half Liberty Division champions, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a RBI single by Kyle Roller.
In the fourth, the Blue Crabs, who finished with 12 hits in the game, jumped on Somerset starter Will Oliver with three straight singles to load the bases. A passed ball scored
Michael Snyder to tie the game before a Patrick Palmiero walk again loaded the bases.
Blue Crabs catcher Ryan Wiggins then made the game-breaking play with a two-out grand slam to push the lead to 5-1. It was the second grand slam of the season for Wiggins.
“I just want to put a couple RBIs each game to help the team,” said Wiggins. “It was a good pitch and I was able to put one over the wall. It was a huge series win for us and we are starting to play well right now.”
Southern Maryland added a run in the top of the seventh on a RBI single by Edwin Garcia, who contributed a game-high three hits.
Blue Crabs starter Drew Hayes (6-5) picked up the win after giving up just one unearned run over six innings of work. He logged one strikeout and walked one.
Oliver (4-3) suffered the loss for the Patriots, as he yielded six runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.
On Saturday Blue Crabs starter Daryl Thompson (6-6) picked up the win with seven scoreless innings pitched with six strikeouts.
Cory Vaughn put the Blue Crabs on the board in the top of the first inning on a RBI groundout. L.J. Hoes made things 2-0 on an RBI single in the sixth frame. The Blue Crabs extended the lead in the ninth on a solo home run by Zach Cone, his ninth of the season, and a two-run shot by Luis Alen to cap off the scoring.
In Game 1, Roller provided all the offense that Somerset needed with a solo homer in the second inning.
It was a pitcher’s duel as Somerset starter David Kubiak (5-8) pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out seven batters to earn the win. Blue Crabs starting pitcher Gaby Hernandez (8-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing one earned run on three hits with seven strikeouts. Closer Ronnie Shaban got the save for Somerset after pitching a scoreless ninth.