Blue Crabs swept by Somerset
Lose by run day after blowing 7-0 lead
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs tied Wednesday night’s series finale with Somerset two different times, but the visitors seemed to have an answer each time.
With the score tied at 4, Trayvon Robinson belted a solo home run on a 0-ball, 1-strike pitch off of Blue Crabs starter Gaby Hernandez to lead off the top of the sixth, eventually securing the 5-4 victory and the three-game series sweep for Somerset at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf.
Somerset (41-32 overall, 3-0 second half) finished with 15 hits in the game, 39 for the series. The Patriots also prevailed through their bullpen, allowing just two hits in 4 2/3 innings and striking out seven of the final 10 batters to end the game.
Entering Thursday, Somerset led the Liberty Division by a game over Bridgeport in the very early going of the second half and was tied with York for the second best overall record in the Atlantic League.
Southern Maryland (2646, 0-3) began a four-game
home series versus the Long Island Ducks on Thursday. It continues at 7:05 tonight, 6:35 p.m. Saturday and 2:05 p.m. Sunday.
Wednesday night, the Blue Crabs had the tying run on second base in the bottom of ninth when Angel Flores led off with a deep double to center field. But on the next-at bat as Jon Dziomba pulled back on a bunt attempt, Flores was caught trying to steal third for the first out of the inning.
Dziomba then struck out for the second out and Ryde Rodriguez flew out to right to end the game as Somerset closer Jon Hunton picked up his 19th save of the season.
“I like how the guys played tonight and played some small ball to stay in the game. We just came up short there in the end,” Blue Crabs manager Jeremy Owens said. “We pitched well, but Somerset just did not stop playing and they take advantage of opportunities. We just have to move on, it is a long season.”
Somerset, which started the game off with four straight hits, took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a bases-loaded RBI single by Bryan LaHair and a RBI sacrifice fly by Robinson. The Blue Crabs answered with a run in the bottom of the first as center fielder D’Arby Myers hit a solo homer over the leftfield wall, his second of the series and fourth of the season.
With runners on second and third and one out in the third, right fielder Jamar Walton drove in Eric Garcia (2 hits) on a sacrifice fly center to tie the game at 2.
Somerset responded to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Aharon Eggleston, who was 4 for 5 at the plate on the night, and another RBI single from LaHair. Southern Maryland did not go away, tying the game at 4 in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single to center from Myers.
“I just want to go up there and have quality at-bats,” said Myers, who was 2 for 3 Wednesday night with three RBIs and a run scored, 6 for 11 with two homers and four RBIs in the series. “I’ve been working with the coaches and carrying that approach over into the game.”
Owens added, “Myers has been giving us a lift and I’m glad that he is swinging the bat as good as he is.”
Connor Little (4-0) got the win in relief for the Patriots, pitching 1 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit with one strikeout. Somerset starter Shaun Garceau, a former Blue Crab, lasted just 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with one strikeout and two walks.
Hernandez (1-6) suffered the loss for the Blue Crabs, allowing five runs on 11 hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Tuesday night, Southern Maryland let a 7-0 lead through five innings evaporate as Somerset scored 10 unanswered runs to ignite the comeback win.
The Patriots had just three hits through five innings and finished with 16 by the time the game was over. David Vidal and LaHair each finished with three hits and had a combined four RBIs and two doubles to lead the visitors. Matt Fields collected two hits with two RBIs, including a solo homer in the top of the ninth to secure the victory.
Southern Mar yland, which had 11 hits for the game, only three after the fifth, scored four runs on three hits in the second. Walton scored on an RBI groundout by Flores and Angel Sanchez hit a two-out two-run homer to left center field.
In the third, Myers hit a solo homer over the left-field wall. Two batters later, Zach Wilson cranked a two-run homer to push the Blue Crabs lead to seven runs.
Bryce Morrow got the win out of the bullpen, pitching four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits with two strikeouts. Three Somerset relievers, which included Morrow, did not allow a run and gave up just five hits in six innings. Hunton got the save for the Patriots, surrendering just one hit with one strikeout.
Blue Crabs starter Daryl Thompson, a 2003 La Plata graduate pitched a no-decision, going 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts. Four relievers after Thompson allowed six runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings with Orlando Santos suffering the loss.
Santos allowed two runs on two hits and walked a batter in his only inning of work, the eighth which saw Scott Kelly and LaHair come through with back-to-back two-out RBI doubles to break a 7-7 tie.
All-Stars named
The Atlantic League announced the all-star selections for both the Freedom and Liberty divisions on Tuesday.
Southern Maryland had five players selected to represent the Freedom in infielders Michael Snyder and Bryant Nelson, pitchers Brian Burres and Cody Eppley and outfielder Walton. The Atlantic League All-Star game will take place July 13 at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pa.