The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and Camden Riversharks split a doubleheader Wednesday night at Regency Furniture Stadium with the Blue Crabs taking Game 1 7-6 before falling in Game 2 4-3.
GAME 1: SOUTHERN MARYLAND 7, CAMDEN 6
After falling behind 6-0, the Blue Crabs staged a remarkable comeback that ended with a walk-off RBI single by C.J. Ziegler in the bottom of the 7th inning. The walk-off win is the fourth of the season at Regency Furniture Stadium.
With one out and a runner on second, Ziegler lined a ball in the left-center field gap that scored the game-winning run and snapped the Blue Crabs three-game skid. Jim Ed Warden (1-0) received the win out of the bullpen while former Blue Crab Sean Toler (4-1) suffered the loss.
Camden sent 11 batters to the plate in their six-run top of the 1st. Zack MacPhee reached on a two-base error to start the game and eventually scored on a wild pitch by Brian Burres. Just pitches after MacPhee scored, Brian Van Kirk hit a two-run home run off the foul pole in left to extend the lead to 3-0. The Riversharks went on to load the bases later in the inning and after a Bobby Stevens hit an RBI groundout, Michael Albaladejo drove in two runs with a single to cap off the six-run 1st.
Southern Maryland responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the 1st. Dave Sappelt doubled down the left field line to plate Jermaine Mitchell and C.J. Ziegler followed with an RBI single to trim the deficit to 6-2.
Sappelt brought the Blue Crabs a run closer in the 3rd with a solo home run and an error by Bobby Stevens in the 4th inning allowed Jake Opitz to score that made it 6-4.
Opitz tied the game in the bottom of the 5th. Ziegler reached on a two-out single in front of Opitz who hit a two-run home run down the right field line to knot it up at 6-6.
GAME 2: CAMDEN 4, SOUTHERN MARYLAND 3
In Game 2, Camden flipped the script by coming from behind for the win. Bryant Nelson delivered the go-ahead, two-run single with two outs in the top of the 7th to put the RIversharks ahead 4-2. Southern Maryland got a run in the bottom of the 7th but left the tying run stranded at third base.
The Blue Crabs finally broke the scoreless tie with two runs in the bottom of the 5th. Ziegler and Opitz singled to start the inning and Angel Sanchez picked up his first RBI of the season with a single to put Southern Maryland on top. Fellow newcomer Juan Medina followed with a sacrifice fly that doubled the advantage to 2-0.
It didn’t take long though for Camden to respond. They scored twice in the 6th on an RBI single by Bryan Pounds and then Ryan Strieby scored as Pounds got into a rundown to tie the game at 2-2.
The Blue Crabs and Riversharks will finish their three-game series tomorrow night at 7:05 ET. Southern Maryland will send righty Brian Baker (0-3, 2.89 ERA) to the mound against Camden right hander Jake Hale (2-2, 4.14 ERA). Purchase tickets for the game by visiting www.somdbluecrabs.com or calling 301-638-9788.
