The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs defeated the Charleston Dirty Birds 7-5 in a four-hour, 36-minute Atlantic League of Professional Baseball game at GoMart Ballpark on May 2, 2025. The Blue Crabs (2-5) secured the win with key home runs and stolen bases, overcoming a late rally by the Dirty Birds (2-5) before 3,856 fans.
The game, which began at 6:53 p.m. under mostly sunny 79-degree weather, saw Southern Maryland pull ahead with a three-run sixth inning. Ethan Wilson hit a two-run homer in the third, and Pearce Howard added a two-run shot in the sixth, driving in Alejandro De Aza. Sam Dexter’s solo homer in the fourth and RBI single in the sixth, along with a ninth-inning run driven by Wilson, sealed the victory. Ian Kahaloa earned the win, pitching five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Jimmie Sherfy secured the save.
Charleston’s JJ Matijevic and Bobby Bradley each homered, with Bradley scoring twice. Zach Daniels contributed a triple and a double, driving in a run. Despite outhitting Southern Maryland 10-6, the Dirty Birds left seven runners on base. Lance Lusk took the loss, surrendering three runs in one inning.
Southern Maryland’s offense capitalized on eight walks and five stolen bases, with Gio Digiacomo stealing three. Wilson led with three RBIs, going 2-for-5, while Dexter added two RBIs. Charleston’s Jonathan Soto threw out five base stealers, but two double plays helped limit Southern Maryland’s scoring.
The Blue Crabs struck first in the third when Jackson Loftin singled and scored on Wilson’s homer, taking a 2-0 lead. Charleston responded in the bottom half with Bradley’s solo homer, narrowing the gap to 2-1. Dexter’s fourth-inning homer extended Southern Maryland’s lead to 3-1, but Charleston tied it at 3-3 in the fourth with Matijevic’s homer and Daniels’ RBI triple.
The pivotal sixth inning saw Howard’s homer and Dexter’s RBI single, giving Southern Maryland a 6-3 lead. Charleston answered with single runs in the seventh and eighth, including Daniels scoring on Soto’s single and Bradley crossing the plate on Travis Demeritte’s single, making it 6-5. Wilson’s ninth-inning RBI single provided an insurance run, and Sherfy closed out the game, allowing one hit.
Kahaloa threw 70 pitches, 47 for strikes, while Charleston’s Jonh Henriquez pitched four innings, allowing three runs on three hits. Charleston’s pitchers struggled with control, issuing eight walks, while Southern Maryland’s staff walked three.
The Atlantic League, an independent professional baseball league, features competitive play with former Major League talent. Both teams, early in the 2025 season, are tied at 2-5. The Blue Crabs’ speed and timely hitting proved decisive, while Charleston’s inability to convert hits into runs cost them the game.
Fans can follow the Blue Crabs’ season at and the Dirty Birds at . The teams’ next matchup is set for May 3, 2025, at GoMart Ballpark.
