(Photo courtesy of Eric Wilcox)
(Frederick, Md., Sept. 5, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Spire City Ghost Hounds 14-4 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game midweek series at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Long Island took a 3-0 lead against Spire City starting pitcher Dustin Beggs in the top half of the second inning courtesy of run-scoring singles from Carlos Castro, Scott Kelly, and Lew Ford. The Flock made it 7-1 in their favor in the fourth on back-to-back RBI doubles from Castro and Brantley Bell and a two-run base knock off the bat of Jonathan Guzman.
The Flock jumped out to a 9-4 advantage in the fifth as Ford collected an RBI two-base hit and Alex Dickerson joined in with an RBI single. The visitors added two more runs in the sixth on a Bell run-scoring single and a Guzman double play and put up a three spot in the seventh as Sam Tarvis tallied an RBI single and Alejandro De Aza and Bell drew bases loaded free passes. Castro put the icing on the cake in the ninth frame with a 367 foot two-run home run to the opposite-field in right to give the game its final score.
Ducks starting pitcher Kyle Lobstein (5-5) picked up the win, allowing four runs on nine hits in five innings pitched, walking one and striking out four. Beggs (3-12) was tagged with the loss, surrendering nine runs (six earned) on 15 hits in five innings on the mound, walking one while striking out two.
Castro led the way at the plate with the Ducks first five-hit game of the season as the catcher had three singles, a double, a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored while every player in the Ducks starting lineup had at least one hit in the ballgame, with the Flock tallying a season-high 23 hits overall en route to the victory.
The Ducks and Ghost Hounds continue their three-game series on Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. from Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. Fans can follow the action live on Flo Baseball by CLICKING HERE. Right-hander Robert Stock (8-3, 3.49) gets the nod for the Ducks against Ghost Hounds lefty Zac Rosscup (4-2, 3.19).
Long Island returns home on Friday, September 15, for their final home series of the regular season, a three-game set against the High Point Rockers. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). It’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Night at the Ballpark, and the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Seat Cushions, courtesy of Good Samaritan University Hospital. Tickets to the game, and all Ducks home games, are available by visiting the Fairfield Properties Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE.
The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a Professional Partner League of Major League Baseball. Over 8.5 million fans have enjoyed the Ducks brand of affordable, fun entertainment at Fairfield Properties Ballpark since inception in 2000. For further information, visit LIDucks.com or call 631-940-DUCK (3825).
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season in 2023, the Atlantic League is Major League Baseball’s first Professional Partner League, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. ALPB has sent over 1,200 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 45 million fans to its family-friendly ballparks throughout its 25-year history. Please visit AtlanticLeague.com.
###