The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs ended their long home stand on Sunday with a thrilling victory against the Charleston Dirty Birds. The game proved to be a challenge for the Blue Crabs as they faced off against the Dirty Birds, who were looking to snap their five-game losing streak.
Pitching for the Charleston Dirty Birds was former Blue Crab Eddie Butler, who gave up two runs early in the game from an Alex Crosby sacrifice fly and a K.C. Hobson RBI single. Yefri Perez tied the game at two with a single off the wall.
In the fourth inning, Braxton Lee hit a home run into left field, his first of the year, to give the Crabs a 4-2 lead. However, the Dirty Birds erupted in the seventh inning, scoring five runs and collecting five hits in a row with two outs, giving them a 7-4 lead.
The Blue Crabs did not give up and fought back in the bottom of the seventh. Catcher Felix Aberouette got his first hit with the Crabs and was followed by Jack Sundberg’s home run over the right field wall, cutting the Dirty Birds’ lead to just one.
Charleston handed the ball to Ryan Clark in the ninth inning to try and get the save and snap their losing streak. However, things quickly went south for the Dirty Birds as the inning led off with a ground out, but back-to-back walks would follow, and Braxton Lee would get a hit into center field to tie the game.
Michael Wielansky then advanced to third on the play, and Lee advanced to second. With the bases loaded, Dirty Birds manager Billy Horn intentionally walked David Harris to load up the bases for Alex Crosby. Crosby, who had already been the hero in the first game of the three-game set, drove in Wielansky with a walk-off grand slam to give the Crabs a 9-7 victory.
With the homestand over, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs lead the North Division with a record of 7-2, building up a four-game winning streak. The team will now travel to play against the 1-6 Staten Island FerryHawks for their first away game of the season. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm, and every game of the series will be streamed on FloSports.
TYhe Southern Maryland Blue Crabs continue to dominate in the North Division with their impressive performance and determination. The walk-off grand slam was a fitting end to an exciting game and an excellent way to close out their home stand. Fans can expect great things from this team as they head out on the road for the first time this season.