(Waldorf, MD., Sep. 5, 2017) – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (24-35) dropped the series opener against the Somerset Patriots (28-30) 10-3, with the Patriots tying their season-high for hits in a single game.
After a pair of scoreless innings started the night, both offenses exploded in the third inning. Gaby Hernandez (11-4) walked the first batter in the inning, before back-to-back singles loaded the bases with nobody out. After a popup made the first out in the inning, the Patriots sent their leading hitter Kyle Roller to the plate. Roller fought the count full, before doubling down the right field line to score a pair of runs. Two batters later, a single from D’Vontrey Robinson scored Justin Trapp, opening up a 3-0 lead for Somerset.
The Blue Crabs immediately fought back, putting up two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. After a strikeout started the inning, a solo homerun from Kalaika Kahoohalahala put them on the board against Mike Antonini. Antonini then allowed a single and a walk, putting two on with one out for Jose Lozada. Lozada came through with a single on the hit-and-run, easily scoring Garcia to cut the deficit to just one run.
After a scoreless fourth, the Patriots added another run in the fifth on a solo shot from Roller. Hernandez allowed a double and a walk later in the inning, but stranded two runners in what proved to be the right-hander’s final inning of work. He turned over the two-run deficit to his bullpen, which would prove to spark the Somerset offense. After two quick outs started the sixth, a triple from Justin Trapp put a man in scoring position for Tony Thomas. Thomas promptly double, scoring Trapp to extend the lead to 5-2.
Craig Stem came on for the seventh, giving up four runs to Somerset, breaking open the game. Back-to-back singles started the inning, with a triple from Tyler Bortnick allowing both runners to score. A single from Scott Kelly allowed Bortnick to score, with a one-out single from Trapp scoring Kelly to take a 9-2 lead.
The Patriots weren’t done yet though, as they loaded the bases in the eighth as well. A walk and a single started the inning, before another single from Kelly loaded the bases with one out. After Zack Thornton picked up a strikeout looking, he issued a walk to Carlos Guzman, scoring another run to open up a 10-2 lead.
Somerset then turned the bottom of the ninth over to Ronnie Shaban, who made things interesting to finish the night off. Devon Rodriguez led off with an infield single, being matched by an infield single from Brian Bistagne two batters later. After an infield fly picked up the second out, Shaban walked Kahoohalahala to load the bases for the top of the lineup. Garcia came back up, and battled for a nine-pitch walk to score Rodriguez, which Shaban argued leading to his ejection. Duane Below was forced into action following the ejection, taking just two pitches to force a groundout to finish off the 10-3 win for the Patriots.
The Blue Crabs return to action Wednesday, September 6th for the second game of the three-game series against the Patriots. Southern Maryland will send RHP Daryl Thompson (8-6, 3.73) to the mound, trying to even up the series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M. on Wednesday at Regency Furniture Stadium.
For more information on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, or to reserve your seat today for any of the Blue Crabs upcoming home games, please visit our website at somdbluecrabs.com or call us at 301-638-9788.