(Waldorf, MD., Jun. 4, 2018) – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (11-23) took the series opener against the Road Warriors (9-26) 6-0, behind an early offensive explosion.
The Blue Crabs offense wasted no time getting things going, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. After two quick outs from Felix Baez (1-5) on the mound, Teodoro Martinez drew a walk to extend the inning. Frank Martinez came up next serving as the cleanup hitter, and crushed a ball to right-center field. The right fielder gave chase but ran out of room as the ball just cleared the wall for a two-run homerun, Martinez’s first of the season.
After a quick second inning, the offense exploded in the third, putting up four runs in the inning. Austin Green got the inning started with a solo homerun, his first long ball of the season as well. Johnny Bladel followed with a single, before back-to-back walks loaded the bases with still nobody out in the inning. A wild pitch came on the next batter, allowing Bladel to come across to score the second run in the inning. Two batters later, a groundball from Ryan Strausborger allowed Edwin Garcia to score extending the lead further. A two-out single from Devon Rodriguez allowed Teodoro Martinez to score, giving Southern Maryland a comfortable 6-0 lead.
Brandon Cumpton (3-2) continued strong on the mound for the Blue Crabs, shutting down the Road Warriors offense. The right-hander turned in one of his best outings of the season, tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing just four hits. Baez settled down on the other side after the tough third inning, not allowing a hit over his final three frames.
The bullpen took over for the Blue Crabs in the eighth, picking right up where their starter left off. After a scoreless inning from Jason Creasy, they turned to the closer Cody Eppley to secure the win. Eppley struck out the first two batters in the inning, en route to a 1-2-3 inning to finish off the 6-0 win. The shutout was just the fourth for the pitching staff on the season, but the third against the Road Warriors.
The Blue Crabs return to action Tuesday, June 5th for game two against the Road Warriors. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M. on Tuesday at Regency Furniture Stadium.
For more information on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, or to reserve your seat today for any of the Blue Crabs upcoming home games, please visit our website at somdbluecrabs.com or call us at 301-638-9788.
About the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
The Blue Crabs play 126 regular season games in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs. The Blue Crabs play at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland with affordable family fun. The franchise will begin its 11th season in April 2018. Please call 301-638-9788 or visit http://www.somdbluecrabs.com for more information.
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 38 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 900 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment.
For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.