Long Island overcomes five-run deficit for extra-inning win

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 14, 2015) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 7-6 in 10 innings on Friday night in the second game of a four-game series at Bethpage Ballpark.

GAME AUDIO: Highlights from the waddle-off victory

POSTGAME VIDEO: Kevin Baez, Mike Blanke and Fehlandt Lentini talk about the dramatic win

Southern Maryland went ahead early on Gustavo Molina’s grand slam in the first inning off Ducks starter Bobby Blevins. Zach Wilson’s RBI double made it 5-0 Blue Crabs in the second. Anthony Vega put Long Island on the scoreboard and made it a 5-1 ballgame with a RBI single in the bottom of the inning against Blue Crabs starter Tim Sexton.

In the fourth, Nelfi Zapata’s RBI single brought the Ducks within three. One inning later, Long Island tied the game at five on a RBI double from Cody Puckett and a run-scoring error by Southern Maryland shortstop Casey Frawley. Mike Blanke picked up a RBI on the play.

In the eighth, the Ducks went on top 6-5 thanks to Fehlandt Lentini’s steal of home plate on a 0-2 pitch with two outs. The Blue Crabs tied the game in the ninth on a run-scoring wild pitch thrown by Donnie Veal. Blanke’s walkoff RBI single with the bases loaded in the 10th facing Cody Eppley gave the Ducks the victory.

Ryan Kussmaul (4-2) earned the victory, allowing one hit while walking two in a scoreless top of the 10th. Eppley (3-4) suffered the loss, tossing one inning and allowing the winning run on four hits with one walk. J.C. Romero, Nick Struck, and Patrick Crider each threw a hitless inning in relief for Long Island. Both starters took no decisions. Blevins threw five innings and allowed five runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out five. Sexton finished after four innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits with no walks and one strikeout.

Puckett finished with three hits, including a double, one RBI, and one run scored. Blanke drove in two runs and scored once.

The Ducks continue their series on Saturday night when they play game three of a four-game series against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Bethpage Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). Following the game, all fans in attendance will be treated to a Pyrotecnico Fireworks Extravaganza, presented by Suffolk Federal. In addition, Ducks staff members will be handing out coupons for discounts at Dick’s Sporting Goods to fans following the game. Righty Bruce Kern gets the ball for the Ducks against Blue Crabs right-hander Brian Grening.

Tickets to the game and all Ducks home games are available by visiting the Bethpage Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE. Those unable to make the game can follow all of the action live on the Ducks’ flagship radio station, 103.9-FM LI News Radio. Streaming video and audio will be available online via the Ducks’ official YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE.

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Duck Tales: Friday was Long Island’s eighth waddle-off win of the season. It was also their first since July 4 against the Somerset Patriots. The win was the Ducks’ 28th come-from-behind victory of the season and third in extra innings. All three of their extra inning wins have come at Bethpage Ballpark. Friday was Long Island’s first extra inning game since June 25 at Sugar Land…Dan Lyons collected two more hits in the win. He has now reached base safely in 20 of his last 21 games dating back to July 23 and is batting .364 (28-for-77) in that span. With his 57th RBI of the season, he surpassed his Ducks career high in RBI for a single season, which he set in 2012. It’s also the most he’s had with one single team in his professional career. His career high for RBI in a single season was 71, which he accomplished in 2008 with two different teams…Cody Puckett had three hits for the Ducks on Friday to extend his hitting streak to 11 consecutive games. During the streak, the infielder is batting .319 (15-for-47) with three doubles, one homer, six RBI and five runs scored. Dating back to July 23, Puckett has earned hits in 19 of his last 21 games. It was the second-year Duck’s seventh three-hit game of the season, which is one shy of Lyons for the team lead…Nelfi Zapata collected his first hit and first RBI as a Duck with a RBI single in the fourth inning. In addition, he drew his first walk as a Duck in the seventh. Zapata was signed by the Ducks on Thursday after beginning the season with Triple-A Las Vegas in the New York Mets organization. Five Ducks relievers combined to limit the Blue Crabs to just one unearned run in five innings of work. J.C Romero, Nick Struck, Patrick Crider and Ryan Kussmaul each threw scoreless innings. Combined, Long Island’s bullpen allowed just two hits and three walks in their five innings of work and struck out one batter. They retired the first nine batters they faced as well.
 

 Game Date: 08/14/2015 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 6 AT Long Island Ducks 7 (EXTRA INNINGS) YTD YTD S Maryland AB R H BI AVG L Island AB R H BI AVG F.Lewis RF 4 0 0 0 .252 F.Lentini RF 5 1 2 0 .310 T.Wagner RF 0 1 0 0 .233 D.Cleary Jr. CF 5 1 1 0 .285 C.Stevenson 3B 3 2 2 0 .274 D.Lyons SS 5 2 2 1 .313 Z.Wilson 1B 5 1 2 1 .271 S.Burroughs 1B 5 1 1 0 .314 J.Rosa LF 5 1 1 0 .269 C.Puckett 3B 5 1 3 1 .275 G.Molina C 5 1 2 4 .299 M.Blanke DH 6 1 1 2 .281 K.Castillo C,PR 0 0 0 0 .232 A.Vega LF 4 0 2 1 .279 C.Maddox DH 4 0 3 0 .257 N.Zapata C 3 0 1 1 .167 C.Frawley SS 4 0 0 0 .252 C.Hughes 2B 5 0 1 0 .200 A.DeJesus CF 4 0 1 0 .200 G.Zawadzki 2B 5 0 1 0 .190 39 6 12 5 43 7 14 6 S Maryland 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 6 12 5 L Island 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 1 - 7 14 1 2B--C.Stevenson 2 (16), Z.Wilson (22), D.Lyons (19), C.Puckett (17). HR--G.Molina (13). RBI--Z.Wilson (40), G.Molina 4 (51), D.Lyons (57), C.Puckett (37), M.Blanke 2 (31), A.Vega (15), N.Zapata (1). SH--C.Stevenson (0), C.Frawley (0), D.Cleary Jr. (0), N.Zapata (0). SB--F.Lentini (4), D.Cleary Jr. (24), D.Lyons 2 (16), M.Blanke (5), A.Vega (9). E--Z.Wilson (8), C.Frawley 3 (11), G.Zawadzki (2), S.Burroughs (1). LOB--S Maryland 9, L Island 17. DP--C. Hughes(2B) - D. Lyons(SS) - S. Burroughs(1B), N. Zapata(C) - D. Lyons(SS) - S. Burroughs(1B). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA S Maryland T.Sexton 4.0 7 4 3 0 1 0 4.50 T.Barham 2.2 2 1 1 2 0 0 2.74 O.Santos 1.1 1 1 1 3 3 0 2.76 C.Eppley (L,3-4) 1.0 4 1 0 1 0 0 3.27 9 14 7 5 6 4 0 L Island B.Blevins 5.0 10 5 5 1 5 1 5.40 J.Romero 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.53 N.Struck 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.88 P.Crider 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.95 D.Veal 1.0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1.42 R.Kussmaul (W,4-2) 1.0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3.45 10 12 6 5 4 6 1 WP--T.Barham (4), O.Santos (5), B.Blevins (3), D.Veal (1). SO--F.Lewis 2, Z.Wilson, G.Molina, C.Frawley, G.Zawadzki, S.Burroughs, M.Blanke, A.Vega, C.Hughes. BB--T.Wagner, C.Stevenson, C.Maddox, A.DeJesus, F.Lentini, D.Lyons, S.Burroughs, C.Puckett, A.Vega, N.Zapata. BF--T.Sexton 21 (82), T.Barham 13 (177), O.Santos 8 (216), C.Eppley 9 (129), B.Blevins 26 (211), J.Romero 3 (72), N.Struck 3 (145), P.Crider 3 (172), D.Veal 5 (51), R.Kussmaul 5 (196). P-S--T.Sexton 75-51, T.Barham 39-23, O.Santos 35-17, C.Eppley 16-10, B.Blevins 100-70, J.Romero 12-8, N.Struck 10-6, P.Crider 8-4, D.Veal 19-10, R.Kussmaul 16-9. T--3:32. A--5017 Plate Umpire - Warren Nicholson, Field Umpire #1 - Tom Magier, Field Umpire #2 - Frank Iurilli