Blue Crabs take series in Sugar Land

Sexton allows just one run as team wins second straight

After snapping a five-game losing streak in Tuesday’s 6-5 win in Game 2 versus Sugar Land to even the three-game series at 1 win apiece, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs looked to keep the momentum going on Wednesday night.

Behind the strong pitching from starter Tim Sexton and some key hits offensively, Southern Maryland delivered with a 5-2 victory over the Skeeters to take the series at Constellation Field in Texas.

“The guys did a great job and were seeing the ball well and ahead of the counts,” said Blue Crabs manager Jeremy Owens after Wednesday’s win. “Great job all around and winning the series builds confidence. We have to keep on taking care

of the little things and play with a sense of urgency.”

Sexton (2-2), the 6-foot-6 right-hander from Baltimore, went seven innings and allowed just one run on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks for his second win of the season.

“Tim kept the ball down and pitched well and the defense really back him up,” Owens said. “The first half has been a struggle, but our offense and defense is capable of doing great things when the puzzle comes together.”

Southern Maryland (2136 overall, sitting in fourth place, 12 games behind York in the Atlantic League’s

Freedom) had 11 hits in the game. The Blue Crabs broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth then added runs in the fifth and sixth to eventually secure the victory.

The Blue Crabs kicked off eight-game homestand on Thursday as they took on division leader York in the

first of a four-game set. The series continues throughout the weekend, then Sugar Land comes in for four games starting Monday.

Sugar Land (30-29), is are four games back of York for first place in the Freedom Division. The Skeeters finished with just six hits and left eight runners in scoring position in the game. The Blue Crabs left 10 runners on.

With the score knotted at 1, Southern Maryland took a one-run lead on a one-out RBI single by D’Arby Myers, scoring Kuan-Jen Chen.

The Blue Crabs went up 4-1 in the fifth on a two-out, two-run triple by Chen, one of three Blue Crabs with two hits each on the night. Myers and Michael Snyder were the others.

Blue Crabs third baseman Bryant Nelson then drove in Myers on a two-out single in the sixth to cap off the team’s scoring. Sugar Land put one more across in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough.

Cody Eppley retired the Skeeters in order in the ninth for his 12th save of the season.