(Photo courtesy of Jordan McGregor)
(Waldorf, Md., June 14, 2026) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 7-3 on Sunday afternoon in the final game of a six-game series at Regency Furniture Stadium.
Long Island took an immediate 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning as Chris Roller cracked a leadoff solo home run over the left field wall on the second pitch of the ballgame thrown by Southern Maryland starting pitcher Ian Kahaloa. The Blue Crabs tied the game at a run apiece in the second courtesy of a solo dinger to left centerfield off the bat of Jackson Loftin versus Ducks starter Nolan Clenney. Southern Maryland took their first lead of the ballgame at 2-1 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Danny Bautista Jr., and added a run in the fifth as Brody Fahr crossed the plate on a fielding error.
Long Island got back to within a run at 3-2 in the sixth thanks to Roller’s run-scoring base knock. The visitors knotted the game at three in the eighth on Jacob Robson’s two-out, solo home run to the opposite-field in left, his team-leading 15th four-bagger of the season. The Blue Crabs answered right back in the bottom of the frame with four runs of their own and never looked back, highlighted by Bautista’s RBI single and Carlos Rojas’ three-run home run to left-center.
Neither starter factored into the decision. Clenney allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits across five innings pitched, walking one and striking out four. Kahaloa gave up a pair of runs on three hits across six innings of work to go along with three strikeouts. Rafi Vazquez (6-0) picked up the victory despite allowing a run and a hit in one inning on the mound. Buddy Reed (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering three runs on one hit in one-third of an inning, walking two and striking out one.
Roller had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Anthony Garcia singled and drew a free pass to extend his on-base streak to a team-best 25 straight contests, and Jorge Bonifacio doubled and scored a run.
The Ducks return home on Tuesday, June 16, to begin a six-game series with the Lancaster Stormers. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 p.m. (5:20 p.m. for full season ticket holders). It will be a Pat’s Marketplace Tuesday and a Triple Play Tuesday at the ballpark.
Tickets to the game and all Ducks games are now available and can be purchased by visiting the ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE. Those unable to make the game can follow all the action live on Dugout TV, powered by HomeTeam Network. Subscribe today by CLICKING HERE.
The Long Island Ducks are entering their 26th season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip, N.Y. They are the all-time leader in wins and attendance in Atlantic League history, have led all MLB Partner Leagues in total attendance for five consecutive seasons, and have sold out a record 724 games all-time. For further information, visit LIDucks.com or call 631-940-DUCK (3825).
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
Celebrating its third decade, 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. Over its 27-year history, the ALPB has sent over 1,450 players to MLB organizations while drawing nearly 50 million fans to its 10 state-of-the-art ballparks that stretch from New York to North Carolina. Follow the action on DugoutTV.org.
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