WALDORF, Md. – Having won 11 of their last 15 games, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs welcomed the Lancaster Barnstormers into town on Tuesday evening for the first of a three-game set. The Blue Crabs entered play in first place, 1.0 games ahead of the Barnstormers in the Atlantic League North Division. A favorable pitching matchup and a 5-0 Blue Crabs lead after two innings made a turn for the worst in the late innings, when Lancaster scored eight unanswered, including five unearned runs.

Kolton Mahoney got the start for Southern Maryland, and after loading the bases with no outs in the first inning, he made a brilliant turnaround, fanning back-to-back batters and forcing a flyout.

Southern Maryland’s offense also loaded the bases in their half of the first, and it was capped off by a two-run single from Josh McAdams. In the very next inning, a Joe DeLuca single led to Michael Baca reaching base on an error. Rubi Silva took full advantage of the miscue, pounding a three-run opposite field homer to give SOMD an early 5-0 lead.

 

Both sides went scoreless in innings three, four, and five, before the Stormers struck in the sixth. LeDarious Clark brought the first Lancaster run home on a Josh McAdams error. Following a flyout, with one away the Stormers’ Jake Hoover grounded out to bring home the second run of the frame.

With Southern Maryland still holding a healthy 5-2 lead, a bizarre seventh inning gave the Stormers four more runs. A pair of singles and a strikeout brought Kelly Dugan to the plate, who reached on a catcher’s interference, loading the bases for Devon Torrence. With the reliever, Dalton Geekie (L, 1-1) on the mound and two outs, LeDarious Clark plated two on a bloop double to right field, bringing Lancaster within one run. The next batter, Anderson De La Rosa, reached on a throwing error from McAdams, allowing the tying and go ahead runs to score. Lancaster went into the seventh inning stretch holding a 6-5 lead.

Southern Maryland’s bats couldn’t click against a strong Stormers bullpen. Lancaster added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning, ultimately giving them an 8-5 series opening victory. Southern Maryland will look to rebound on Wednesday with the southpaw starter, Misael Siverio on the hill.