(Lexington, KY, July 14th, 2021) The Blue Crabs (22-20) lost their second straight on Wednesday night despite mounting a late-inning comeback against the Lexington Legends (28-13). Tillman Hugh squashed Southern Maryland’s rally in the late innings, belting his second homer of the game en route to an 11-8 Legends victory.
Southern Maryland used small ball to jump out to an early lead with one run in the first inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Dario Pizzano grounded out to bring a run home.
Blake Bivens (L, 0-1) got the start for the Blue Crabs, his first of the season. The right-hander that rotated between starting and relieving in his five years in the Tampa Bay Rays organization settled in after allowing four runs in the first inning. The former fourth-round draft pick allowed five runs over four innings, exiting with the Blue Crabs trailing 5-3.
The Legends added three runs in the fifth inning before Southern Maryland started chipping away. After Michael Baca drove a run home in the sixth, the Blue Crabs exploded in the seventh. David Harris and Alex Crosby hit back-to-back homers to trim the Lexington lead to one. Following Southern Maryland’s first back-to-back jacks of 2021, Kent Blackstone doubled home the equalizer to tie the score at 8-8 heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
The Legends, who are now 19-2 at home this season, struck back immediately in the bottom of the seventh. Tillman Hugh blasted a two-out, three-run home run to give the Legends an 11-8 lead. The bomb was Hugh’s second of the contest and his fourth over his last three games. Dropping the first two of a three-game set, Southern Maryland has now lost their first series since May 14th.
Stan Cliburn will send the Atlantic League strikeout leader, Mike Devine to the mound for Thursday’s series finale.