(7/21/2022, Waldorf MD) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs completed the sweep at home over the Long Island Ducks, clawing their way back from down seven in the first. Ian Yetsko had a massive game tonight, with a home run, double, and the game-winning single in the eighth.
The Blue Crabs’ starter, Adrian Cook, ran into trouble in the first inning. Cook recorded one out but allowed seven runs before Dario Polanco entered for Southern Maryland. Polanco dominated, allowing only one run across four and two-thirds innings.
The Blue Crabs scored one run in the bottom of the first before surrendering a run in the top of the second inning, trailing the Ducks 8-1. At the bottom of the second, the Blue Crabs started the comeback. Jack Sundberg punched a single into center before Ian Yetsko destroyed a two-run home run over the Mini Monster, cutting the deficit to 8-3.
The Blue Crabs’ big inning came in the fourth, scoring five runs and tying the game. With runners on first and second, David Harris knocked a base hit into the center, scoring Yetsko to cut the Ducks’ lead to 8-4. Alex Crosby then crushed a double to deep center, scoring Zach Collier and David Harris, getting the Blue Crabs back within two. Jared Walker kept the rally going with an automatic double over the wall in left-center, scoring Crosby. The Blue Crabs tacked on another run with a sac fly, tying the game at 8-8.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Blue Crabs took a 9-8 lead, but Long Island responded in the sixth, tying the score at 9-9.
Meanwhile, Dalton Geekie pitched the seventh for Southern Maryland before Patrick Baker entered in the eighth. Baker (W, 4-1) surrendered one run while striking out two, giving the Ducks a 10-9 edge.
The Blue Crabs got the lead back in the eighth inning off of Nick Goody (L, 0-2) (BS, 3). The Blue Crabs had runners on the corners and no outs when Mike Falsetti grounded into a double play, which scored Matt Hibbert from third and tied the game at 10-10. From there, Jack Sundberg walked and stole second base. The next batter, Ian Yetsko, drove a base hit into the left, scoring Sundberg to give the Blue Crabs an 11-10 lead.
In the ninth, Endrys Briceno (S, 7) pitched another 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters to secure the 11-10 victory. With the Blue Crabs’ win, they move to 58-23 on the season and 10-5 in the second half, one game back from the Lancaster Barnstormers in the second half. The Blue Crabs will travel to Long Island for three more games against the Ducks, starting tomorrow at 6:35 pm.