(Waldorf, MD, September 19, 2021) Flabbergasted, is a word that describes how the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs were able to take Sunday’s rubber match against the Lancaster Barnstormers 13-3. All 13 runs were scored for Southern Maryland in the ball clubs’ last three offensive innings.
Tucker Nathans put the nail in the coffin on a three-run home run, that capped off an eight-run seventh inning. The newcomer proceeded to have his most impressive day as a Blue Crab, going 2-4 with five RBI’s. Despite giving up three runs in the second inning, Daryl Thompson (W, 13-3) earned another quality start with six strikeouts in seven innings of work.
It looked as if it was going to be a very gritty game for Southern Maryland from the first half of play. The Crabs ace, Thompson, allowed a three-run home run to LeDarious Clark in the second inning, while the Blue Crabs couldn’t etch a run across for the first five frames. In picking up the win, Thompson notched his 73rd win in the Atlantic League, one shy of tying Tim Cain’s record. Thompson, who is already the league’s all-time strikeout king has 28 wins over his last two seasons and is fresh off winning the 2019 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year.
Finally, in the sixth inning, Southern Maryland scored their first run on an RBI groundout from Zach Collier. After that, the offense for the Crabs would flourish but not until an inning later.
The massacre began with a simple infield single from Jordan Howard. Two batters later, Jovan Rosa changed the game to a one-run deficit on a single into left field. David Harris tied the game on a single to right field, plating the go-ahead run in Rosa in scoring position at second base.
Manager Ross Peeples decided to go to his pen, in the crafty lefty Jake Mulholland that would go south in the blink of an eye. A walk to Collier loaded the bases for Josh McAdams. McAdams answered the call, supplying the Blue Crabs with their first lead of the game on a two-RBI single. Joe DeLuca got into the action next with an RBI single right after.
With the score of 6-3 and two runners on base, that gave way to Nathans. Even with the lefty-lefty matchup, Nathans parked a fastball over the right-field wall that basically put a pin in game three. Southern Maryland scored four more runs in the eighth inning, which made it even easier for Dylan Brammer to close it down in the ninth for a 13-3 victory.
7-3 is the final record for the Crabs on the homestand, winning all three series. The Blue Crabs now sit 0.5 GB of Long Island in the standings heading into a week-long road trip beginning on Tuesday in York.