High Point, NC – Fresh off their first series sweep of the 2021 season, Southern Maryland headed to High Point, North Carolina to take on the Rockers. The Blue Crabs staged a dramatic late-inning comeback to disassemble the Rockers, winning 10-7.
It was High Point that struck first in Friday night’s series opener. In the bottom of the second inning, Rockers designated hitter Jared Mitchell hit one of his two solo shots in the game, handing High Point an early lead.
It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the Blue Crabs broke their scoring seal when Alex Crosby doubled in two Crabs. With runners on second and third, Michael Baca’s bat stayed hot as he singled up the middle, scoring one before a laser from High Point’s center fielder Randy Norris cut down Crosby at the plate, giving the Blue Crabs a 3-1 lead.
The Rockers tacked on five more runs by the end of the seventh, and the Blue Crabs trailed 6-3. In the eighth inning, the Blue Crabs and the Rockers traded runs, putting Southern Maryland’s winning streak in jeopardy.
After Joe DeLuca and Baca began the ninth inning with a pair of hits, Matt Hibbert and Jordan Scott drove them in to make the score 7-6, High Point on top. After a mound visit, David Harris changed the outcome of the game with one swing of the bat, blasting a towering three-run homer to left field, giving Southern Maryland a 9-7 lead.
For good measure, Zach Collier drove in yet another Blue Crabs run to wrap up a six-run ninth inning for Southern Maryland. Quickly, Blue Crabs closer Mat Latos (S, 4) got loose and collected the save in the bottom of the ninth, setting down the Rockers in order. Seven Southern Maryland runs in the final two innings extended their season-high winning streak to four games, taking the series opener by a score of 10-7. Southern Maryland now sits 2.5 games back of first place in the Atlantic League North Division with an 8-11 record, and will put Austin Glorius on the mound on Saturday at 7:05 PM in game two of the series.
About the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
The Blue Crabs play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Blue Crabs, set to kick off their 13th season of baseball, call Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland home. For more information on the Blue Crabs, please call 301-638-9788 or visit http://www.somdbluecrabs.com for more information.
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About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League is the first Professional Partner League of Major League Baseball, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. ALPB has sent over 950 players to MLB organizations while drawing 42 million fans to its family-friendly ballparks over its 24-year history. Please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.