YORK, PA. – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs beat the Lancaster Barnstormers tonight, for their fifth win in their last six tries. Eddie Butler kept the Barnstormers off the board through three innings and ultimately allowed three runs across five innings.
The game remained scoreless until the fourth. With one out, Augie Sylk (L, 2-4) surrendered singles to Jared Walker and Alex Crosby, before Joe Deluca walked to load the bases.
The next batter, Braxton Lee, was hit by a pitch, which forced Jared Walker home. Ryan Haug then ripped a double down the third baseline, scoring Deluca and Crosby, and giving the Blue Crabs a 3-0 lead. Two batters later, Jack Sundberg ripped a single into right field, scoring Deluca and Haug, giving Southern Maryland a 5-0 advantage.
Lancaster fought back in the bottom of the fourth. After a leadoff double, Trayvon Robinson drove in Colton Shaver, to cut the deficit to 5-1. Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Anthony Peroni roped a single into right field, scoring Trayvon Robinson and Trace Loehr, cutting the Blue Crabs’ lead to 5-3.
In the fifth inning, Southern Maryland added a run when Zach Collier scored from third on a wild pitch, giving the Blue Crabs a 6-3 edge. Southern Maryland picked up another run in the sixth. Michael Baca doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Michael Wielansky dribbled a single down the third baseline on the infield grass, scoring Baca from third and putting the Blue Crabs ahead 7-3.
In the seventh, the Blue Crabs struck again when Jared Walker blasted a home run to right field that went out of Clipper Magazine Stadium, extending the Blue Crabs’ lead to 8-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lancaster responded. After Andretty Cordero doubled to left-center field, Kelly Dugan launched a two-run home run to right field, cutting the Blue Crabs’ lead to 8-5.
In the eighth inning, Michael Baca led off with a double to left field and advanced to third on Jack Sundberg’s bunt single. The Blue Crabs added an insurance run when Michael Wielansky hit a sacrifice fly to center, giving the Blue Crabs a 9-5 lead.
Meanwhile, the Blue Crabs’ bullpen pitched well, as Patrick Baker did not allow a run in the sixth. While Bradley Roney allowed two runs, Nick Wells came on in relief and pitched a clean seventh inning. In the eighth and ninth innings, Endrys Briceno and Alex Merithew pitched 1-2-3 innings to secure the Blue Crabs’ 9-5 victory.
The Blue Crabs have now won five of their last six games and look to win the series tomorrow as they take on the Barnstormers for game two tomorrow at 6:35. Southern Maryland will return to Regency Furniture Stadium Tuesday, June 7 at 6:35 pm.