WALDORF, Md. — The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs edged the Staten Island Ferry Hawks 5-4 in an Atlantic League game Aug. 26, 2025, at Regency Furniture Stadium, securing their third straight win behind timely hitting from Sam Dexter and solid pitching from Connor Overton. The victory improved the Blue Crabs’ record to 55-50 overall and 19-23 in the second half, while the Ferry Hawks fell to 46-60 overall and 16-27 in the second half. A crowd of 1,937 watched under sunny skies with temperatures at 77 degrees as the home team built an early lead and fended off a late rally.
The Blue Crabs jumped ahead in the first inning with three runs off Staten Island starter Tyler Lepard. Jackson Loftin led off with a double and scored on Alejandro De Aza’s RBI double. Ethan Wilson followed with a triple to drive in De Aza, and Brett Barrera added a sacrifice fly to score Wilson, making it 3-0. Lepard settled in after that, allowing four hits and two walks over five innings while striking out two.
Staten Island broke through in the sixth against Overton. Mark Contreras doubled, and Pablo Sandoval singled him home for the first run. Carlos Rodriguez then walked, and Alejandro Osuna delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-2. Overton escaped further damage, finishing with six innings pitched, seven hits, two earned runs, one walk and nine strikeouts on 91 pitches, 59 for strikes. His performance lowered his ERA to 5.01.
Southern Maryland responded in the bottom of the sixth. Juan Baylor singled and stole second, then scored on Dexter’s RBI single to push the lead to 4-2. The Ferry Hawks tied it in the eighth off reliever Kirby Snead. Contreras singled, Sandoval walked, and Rodriguez drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Osuna then singled to plate Sandoval, knotting the score at 4-4. Snead took the loss, allowing one hit in one inning to drop to 1-4 with a 1.91 ERA.
The Blue Crabs regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth against Brandon McCabe. Wilson singled, advanced on a groundout and scored on Dexter’s second RBI single of the game. McCabe, who earned the win in relief, allowed two hits and one walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning, improving to 3-3 with a 3.50 ERA. Endrys Briceño closed it out in the ninth, retiring the side on 10 pitches for his save, maintaining a 0.00 ERA.
Dexter led the Southern Maryland offense, going 3-for-3 with two RBI to raise his average to .281. Wilson contributed two hits, including a triple, and an RBI, while De Aza added a double and an RBI. The Blue Crabs totaled nine hits and left seven runners on base, committing no errors in the field. Lyle Lin handled 12 putouts behind the plate, and Shortstop Dexter assisted on three plays.
For Staten Island, Contreras went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and Osuna had two hits with two RBI. The Ferry Hawks stranded eight runners and committed two errors, one by second baseman Edwin Diaz and another by catcher Anthony Espinosa. Lepard took a no-decision in his start, yielding seven hits and four earned runs.
The game lasted two hours and 29 minutes, starting at 6:38 p.m. and ending at 9:07 p.m. Plate umpire Dustin Fields officiated, with Andrew Eng at first base and John Lasanta at third. The win marked Southern Maryland’s third in a row, following a 12-8 victory over Staten Island on Aug. 24 and a 12-4 win on Aug. 23 in the previous series . In that Aug. 24 game, the Blue Crabs rallied with a five-run seventh inning, powered by home runs from Ryan McCarthy and others.
In the Atlantic League’s South Division second-half standings as of Aug. 27, the Blue Crabs sit fourth at 19-23, trailing leader Gastonia Ghost Peppers (24-19), Lexington Legends (23-19) and High Point Rockers (23-20). Charleston Dirty Birds follow at 18-25. In the North, Lancaster Stormers lead at 29-14, ahead of Long Island Ducks (28-15), York Revolution (23-20), Staten Island (16-27) and Hagerstown Flying Boxcars (11-32). The league splits seasons into halves, with first-half winners York (North) and High Point (South) already clinched playoff spots.
Southern Maryland’s pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts, with relievers Cody Thompson, Julian Carr, McCabe and Briceño allowing three hits over three innings. Overton, a key starter, has been consistent in recent outings, providing length to preserve the bullpen. Dexter, highlighted as the week’s “Shore United Player you can Bank On,” continued his strong play with multi-hit games.
The Blue Crabs’ offense focused on small ball, with two stolen bases by Baylor and Dexter, and strategic hitting in scoring position. Loftin doubled and scored, maintaining his .266 average, while Wilson tripled for his fourth of the season. Barrera’s sacrifice fly was his seventh, tying for team lead in that category.
Staten Island’s relievers struggled late, with Carr allowing two earned runs in one-third inning to inflate his ERA to 3.60. The Ferry Hawks’ defense faltered with errors leading to unearned opportunities, though outfielders Kolton Johnson and Contreras each recorded four putouts.
This series opener sets up the next game on Aug. 27 at 6:35 p.m., where Southern Maryland looks to extend its streak. The Blue Crabs have emphasized pitching depth this season, signing relievers like Cody Thompson for 2025 returns. Recent wins, including an 8-7 rally over Gastonia on Aug. 21 with a five-run eighth, show resilience.
