Leftfielder Shaun Cumberland set a Blue Crab season high with seven RBI Thursday night, July 22 at Regency Furniture Stadium, as Southern Maryland cruised to a 13-3 victory over the Long Island Ducks.
Cumberland went 3-for-5 with two home runs, giving him four this season. The Blue Crabs scored early and often, putting up four runs in the first. Shortstop Travis Garcia drove in second baseman Casey Benjamin with a two out RBI single, and Cumberland followed with a three run homer to left.
Cumberland’s shot scored Garcia and first baseman Eric Crozier. The Crabs batted around against Ducks’ RHP Kyle Jackson (0-1) in the first. Long Island cut the deficit to 4-1 in the second when centerfielder Johnny Hernandez drove in third baseman Javier Colina with an RBI double. Colina had doubled to begin the inning. After surrendering the run, RHP Dan Reichert retired nine consecutive batters, including a 1-2-3 third and fourth
Reichert was brilliant through seven innings, and earned his league best tenth win of the season. Meanwhile Jackson’s struggles on the mound continued as the Blue Crabs scored another run in the bottom of the second on an RBI ground out by third baseman Patrick Osborn.
Although Jackson pitched a scoreless third, the Crabs pounced on him again in the fourth. Catcher Christian Lopez led off with a single and centerfielder Jeremy Owens drew a walk to put two on with no outs. Benjamin then crushed a three run homer to left, his 10th of the season, to give the Blue Crabs a commanding 8-1 lead.
Jackson gave up nine runs in all and lasted just five innings, suffering the loss. Cumberland drove in two more runs in the sixth on a base hit that scored Osborn and Garcia. Then in the eighth, Cumberland set the RBI record by crushing a two run bomb to deep rightfield. It was his first multi-home run game of the year. The Blue Crabs return to action Friday evening at 7:05 p.m. for game two of this four-game series against the Long Island Ducks at Regency Furniture Stadium. RHP Kenny Rayborn (7-4, 4.73) will start for Southern Maryland opposite fellow righty Kip Wells (1-0, 3.00) for Long Island.