Ducks re-sign southpaw strikeout artist for 2019
(Central Islip, N.Y., April 9, 2019) – The Long Island Ducks today announced the signing of left-handed pitcher Bennett Parry. The starter returns for his second season with the Ducks and ninth in professional baseball.
“Bennett was one of the Atlantic League’s most dominant pitchers last year,” said Ducks Manager Wally Backman. “He has an impressive repertoire, and I’m excited to have him in our starting rotation.”
Parry was a strikeout machine in his first season with the Flock. The left-hander struck out 116 batters over 14 starts in 2018, a total that ranked second among all Atlantic League pitchers. He trailed only York’s Mitch Atkins (137) despite having made 11 less starts than Atkins (25). Parry struck out 10 or more batters on six separate occasions while averaging 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings and 8.3 strikeouts per start. His 14-strikeout performance on May 30 at Sugar Land tied the franchise’s single-game strikeouts record, achieved on three other occasions (Tim Melville, 6/7/17 at New Britain; Rich Hill, 8/9/15 vs. Camden; Mike Loree, September 15, 2011 at Southern Maryland).
The 27-year-old compiled a 6-1 record with a 2.86 ERA over 85 innings of work. He was selected to start the Atlantic League All-Star Game, held at Long Island’s Bethpage Ballpark, and tossed a 1-2-3 first inning for the Liberty Division. His contract was later purchased by the Chinatrust Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League on August 2. Prior to joining Long Island, the San Diego native spent five seasons in the Baltimore Orioles organization (2011-15), reaching as high as Single-A. He also pitched back-to-back seasons with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association (2016-17). Parry was originally selected by the Orioles in the 40th round of the 2011 amateur draft.
The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. For further information, call (631) 940-DUCK or visit www.liducks.com.
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
With eight teams in the Mid-Atlantic and Texas, the ALPB is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. Through its exclusive partnership with MLB, the Atlantic League tests Major League Baseball rules and equipment initiatives. The Atlantic League has sent over 900 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 40 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 22-year history.
For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.
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