(Staten Island, June 21, 2022) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs lost to the Staten Island FerryHawks for the first time in franchise history on Tuesday Night. Southern Maryland managed only a single run on a rainy night in New York, dropping the series opener by a score of 4-1.
The Blue Crabs, the team with the best record in the Atlantic League will have to wait at least one more day to secure a playoff spot.
Staten Island’s pitching staff compiled 15 strikeouts in the contest, including eight from starting pitcher Hector Guance (1-0). The number one overall pick in the Atlantic League Showcase Draft has now pitched 11 total innings in the Atlantic League, giving up just two runs on eight hits. He also owns a 10/3 K/BB ratio.
Guance’s only earned run came all the way back in the second inning, when Zach Collier doubled home Alex Crosby to give the Blue Crabs an early 1-0 lead.
Southern Maryland hung onto the lead until the bottom of the fourth, when the Ferryhawks plated three runs against Blue Crabs starter Eddie Butler (L, 4-2). Dilson Herrera, Ricardo Cespedes, and Andres Noriega picked up RBIs in the inning for Staten Island.
Antoine Duplantis added a homer in the bottom of the fifth, his fifth home run of the year. A .233 hitter on the season, Duplantis is slashing .278/.350/.444 against the Crabs.
Butler ultimately battled his way through seven innings of work, giving up four runs on eight hits. He struck out only three.
The Long Island Ducks won their fifth game in a row on Tuesday, meaning Southern Maryland’s magic number stays at two. The Crabs will once again look to clinch the Northern Division first half title tomorrow against Staten Island. A win over the FerryHawks coupled with a High Point win over Long Island would do just that.