Nine-run, 13-hit attack leads Long Island over Somerset
(Bridgewater, N.J., Sept. 25, 2015) –The Long Island Ducks defeated the Somerset Patriots 9-4 on Friday night in Game Three of the 2015 Liberty Division Championship Series at TD Bank Ballpark. The Ducks now lead the best-of-five series two games to one.
GAME AUDIO: Highlights from Game Three of the LDCS
POSTGAME VIDEO: Kevin Baez, Cody Puckett and Bobby Blevins talk about the win
Both sides exchanged zeroes until Aharon Eggleston hit a two-out solo home run to right field in the bottom of the third inning off of Ducks starter Bobby Blevins. The Ducks answered with four runs in the fifth, all with two men out, against Patriots starter Matt Zielinski. A RBI single by Sean Burroughs, a RBI double by Dan Lyons and a two-run single by Cody Puckett did the damage.
Lew Ford grounded a two-out RBI single up the middle in the sixth, extending the advantage to 5-1. Michael Burgess hit a two-run homer to right-center in the bottom of the sixth, but a two-out RBI double by Mike Blanke in the seventh stretched the Ducks’ lead to 6-3.
David Vidal trimmed the gap to 6-4 with a pinch hit RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, but a splendidly-turned 6-4-3 double play ended the threat. Long Island responded with three more runs in the eighth to balloon the lead to 9-4. Randy Ruiz’s two-run double and a sacrifice fly from Burroughs highlighted the frame.
Blevins (1-0) earned the win, tossing six innings, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out seven. Zielinski (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering four runs on seven hits and four walks with four strikeouts in five innings. Three Ducks relievers combined for three scoreless innings to seal the win.
Puckett led the Flock with four hits, while Burroughs and Fehlandt Lentini each added two.
The Ducks and Patriots continue the best-of-five Liberty Division Championship Series with Game Four on Saturday night. Game time is slated for 7:05 p.m. at TD Bank Ballpark. Right-hander Bruce Kern toes the rubber for Long Island against Somerset righty Will Oliver. Fans can follow all of the action live on the Ducks’ flagship radio station, 103.9-FM LI News Radio. Live streaming audio will also be available online by CLICKING HERE.
Should the Ducks advance, they would return home on Wednesday, September 30, for Game One of the Atlantic League Championship Series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with the Bethpage Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). Tickets to all potential Ducks home playoff games are available by visiting the Bethpage Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE.
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Game Date: 09/25/2015 Long Island Ducks 9 AT Somerset Patriots 4 YTD YTD L Island AB R H BI AVG Somerset AB R H BI AVG Lentini, F RF 4 1 2 0 .417 Andino, R SS 4 0 0 0 .083 Cleary Jr., D LF 3 2 1 0 .375 Eggleston, A LF 2 2 2 1 .625 Ford, L CF 3 1 1 1 .091 Neal, T DH 4 0 0 0 .111 Ruiz, R DH 4 0 1 2 .364 Burgess, M RF 4 1 1 2 .417 Vega, A PR 0 1 0 0 .000 Fields, M 1B 4 0 0 0 .182 Burroughs, S 1B 4 1 2 2 .667 Hopkins, G 2B,3B 3 0 0 0 .000 Lyons, D SS 4 1 1 1 .200 Linton, O CF 3 1 1 0 .250 Puckett, C 3B 5 1 4 2 .455 Donachie, A C 3 0 0 0 .000 Blanke, M C 5 0 1 1 .111 Spears, N 2B 2 0 0 0 .000 Reyes, E 2B 5 1 0 0 .077 Vidal, D 3B,PH 2 0 1 1 .200 37 9 13 9 31 4 5 4 L Island 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 3 0 - 9 13 1 Somerset 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 - 4 5 2 2B--Ruiz, R DH (1), Lyons, D SS (2), Blanke, M C (1). HR--Eggleston, A LF (1), Burgess, M RF (2). RBI--Ford, L CF (1), Ruiz, R DH 2 (2), Burroughs, S 1B 2 (4), Lyons, D SS (2), Puckett, C 3B 2 (4), Blanke, M C (1), TOTALS 9 (0), Eggleston, A LF (1), Burgess, M RF 2 (6), Vidal, D 3B,PH (1), TOTALS 4 (0). SF--Burroughs, S 1B (1). SH--Lentini, F RF (0), Cleary Jr., D LF 2 (0). SB-- Vega, A PR (2). E--Blanke, M C (3), Andino, R SS (1), Fields, M 1B (1). LOB--L Island 9, Somerset 5. DP--G. Hopkins(2B) - R. Andino(SS) - M. Fields(1B), E. Reyes(2B) - D. Lyons(SS) - S. Burroughs(1B). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L Island Blevins, B (W,1-0) 6.0 4 4 4 3 7 2 6.00 Crider, P 0.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 99.99 Struck, N 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00 Kussmaul, R 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 9 5 4 4 4 9 2 Somerset Zielinski, M (L,0-1) 5.0 7 4 4 4 4 0 7.20 Newby, K 1.0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0.00 Collazo, A 0.2 2 1 1 0 0 0 13.49 Schlosser, G 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 0 27.03 Boshers, B 1.0 1 2 0 0 1 0 5.40 Little, C 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 9 13 9 6 4 6 0 SO--Ford, L, Ruiz, R 2, Lyons, D, Blanke, M 2, Andino, R, Neal, T, Burgess, M, Fields, M 3, Hopkins, G, Donachie, A, Vidal, D. BB--Ford, L 2, Ruiz, R, Lyons, D, Eggleston, A, Hopkins, G, Linton, O, Donachie, A. BF--Blevins, B 26 (26), Crider, P (2), Struck, N 3 (7), Kussmaul, R 6 (6), Zielinski, M 26 (26), Newby, K 5 (5), Collazo, A 4 (4), Schlosser, G 2 (2), Boshers, B 5 (11), Little, C 3 (5). P-S--Blevins, B 88-60, Crider, P 6-4, Struck, N 10-6, Kussmaul, R 29-19, Zielinski, M 98-59, Newby, K 16-14, Collazo, A 17-10, Schlosser, G 9-6, Boshers, B 23-16, Little, C 14-9. T--3:16. A--7835 SOM, T5, PC to mound Weather: 60's; overcast Plate Umpire - Matt Criss, Field Umpire #1 - Dave Speranza, Field Umpire #2 - Freddie DeJesus, Field Umpire #3 - Derek Moccia