Long Island compiles home run cycle in opener
(Photo courtesy of Christine Zichittella-Heeren)
(Bridgeport, Conn., July 27, 2014) – The Long Island Ducks split a day/night doubleheader with the Bridgeport Bluefish on Sunday at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. The Ducks took the opener 12-3 before falling in the nightcap 3-2 in 13 innings.
GAME ONE AUDIO: The Ducks launch four homers in the opener
GAME TWO AUDIO: Long Island adds a pair of solo homers in the nightcap
Both sides traded zeroes until the top of the fourth in game one when the Ducks plated five runs off Bluefish starter Matt Iannazzo. A RBI single by Cody Puckett, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Joash Brodin and a three-run home run by Brandon Bantz did the damage. Bridgeport answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame off Ducks starter Mitch Talbot. A RBI double by Ramon Castro and a two-run homer by Fred Lewis accounted for the runs.
The Ducks responded with four more runs in the fifth on a grand slam to left by Puckett. Dan Lyons’ solo homer and Bill Hall’s two-run blast in the sixth extended the lead to 12-3.
Talbot (2-1) got the win, tossing five innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three. Iannazzo (3-4) suffered the loss, surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts in four innings.
Puckett led the Flock with three hits and five RBI, while Hall picked up two hits, two RBI and three runs.
Long Island struck first in game two when Puckett launched a leadoff homer to left field off Bridgeport starter Julio Rodriguez. A solo blast by Bantz in the second inning extended the lead to two. The Bluefish responded in the bottom of the frame with a two-out RBI single by Luis Rodriguez off Ducks starter Bob Zimmermann.
It stayed 2-1 until the bottom of the eighth when Prentice Redman hit a solo home run to left. Both sides remained scoreless until the bottom of the 13th when Juan Martinez won the game with a RBI single to left.
Neither starter factored into the decision. Zimmermann allowed just one run on five hits over six innings of work. Rodriguez tossed five and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Joe Bateman (2-3) earned the win with four scoreless innings of relief, and Rob Whitenack (1-3) took the loss, yielding a run on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in three and two-thirds innings.
Bantz led the Ducks with three hits, while Puckett added two.
The Ducks and Bluefish continue their four-game series on Monday night. Game time is slated for 7:05 p.m. from The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. Right-hander John Brownell gets the start for the Ducks against Bluefish southpaw and former Duck Dontrelle Willis. Fans can follow all the action online with live streaming audio available on the Ducks official YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE.
Long Island returns home on Saturday, August 2 to open a three-game series against the York Revolution. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., with the Bethpage Ballpark gates opening at 6:05. It’s Military Appreciation Night at the ballpark! Following the game, all fans in attendance will be treated to a Pyrotecnico Fireworks Extravaganza, presented by Northrop Grumman. Tickets for the game and every Ducks regular season home game are now on sale. Fans can purchase their tickets by visiting the Bethpage Ballpark box office, calling 631-940-TIXX or by CLICKING HERE.
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Game Date: 07/27/2014 (GAME ONE) Long Island Ducks 12 AT Bridgeport Bluefish 3 YTD YTD L Island AB R H BI AVG Bridgeport AB R H BI AVG F.Lentini DH 4 0 0 0 .313 J.Simmons CF 4 0 0 0 .302 B.Harris 3B 3 2 1 0 .299 P.Redman DH 2 1 0 0 .272 L.Ford CF 2 3 1 0 .351 R.Castro 3B 3 1 1 1 .258 B.Hall 1B 3 3 2 2 .269 C.Wells RF 2 0 0 0 .375 C.Puckett 2B 3 2 3 5 .289 F.Lewis LF 3 1 1 2 .223 J.Brodin RF 3 0 0 1 .245 L.Lopez 1B 3 0 0 0 .217 J.Myers LF 4 0 0 0 .240 J.Martinez 2B 2 0 1 0 .225 B.Bantz C 4 1 1 3 .244 M.Richard SS 3 0 1 0 .267 D.Lyons SS 3 1 2 1 .269 B.Gonzalez C 3 0 0 0 .143 29 12 10 12 25 3 4 3 L Island 0 0 0 5 4 3 0 - 12 10 1 Bridgeport 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 - 3 4 1 2B--R.Castro (16). HR--B.Hall (1), C.Puckett (4), B.Bantz (1), D.Lyons (2), F.Lewis (5). RBI--B.Hall 2 (4), C.Puckett 5 (48), J.Brodin (43), B.Bantz 3 (7), D.Lyons (24), R.Castro (30), F.Lewis 2 (18). HP--L.Ford (9). SF--J.Brodin (5). SB--L.Ford (6). E--C.Puckett (14), R.Castro (14). LOB--L Island 3, Bridgeport 4. DP--J. Martinez(2B) - M. Richard(SS) - L. Lopez(1B), C. Puckett(2B) - B. Harris(3B) - B. Hall(1B). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L Island M.Talbot (W,2-1) 5.0 4 3 3 1 3 1 6.00 J.Accardo 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4.66 J.Meloan 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4.37 7 4 3 3 3 4 1 Bridgeport M.Iannazzo (L,3-4) 4.0 7 8 7 4 2 1 3.39 E.Fruto 1.2 3 4 4 1 1 3 8.10 J.Bateman 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.61 7 10 12 11 5 4 4 PB--B.Gonzalez. HB--E.Fruto (1). SO--L.Ford, J.Brodin, J.Myers 2, P.Redman, R.Castro, F.Lewis, B.Gonzalez. BB--B.Harris, L.Ford, B.Hall, C.Puckett, D.Lyons, P.Redman, C.Wells, J.Martinez. BF--M.Talbot 20 (47), J.Accardo 4 (162), J.Meloan 4 (100), M.Iannazzo 22 (269), E.Fruto 10 (33), J.Bateman 4 (181). P-S--M.Talbot 69-45, J.Accardo 18-10, J.Meloan 16-7, M.Iannazzo 84-47, E.Fruto 36-19, J.Bateman 22-17. T--2:27. A--1572 Game One of Day/Night DH Weather: Cloudy-Humid-Chance of Storms Plate Umpire - Manolo Alejandro, Field Umpire #1 - Tony Senia, Field Umpire #3 - David Speranza Game Date: 07/27/2014 (GAME TWO) Long Island Ducks 2 AT Bridgeport Bluefish 3 (EXTRA INNINGS) YTD YTD L Island AB R H BI AVG Bridgeport AB R H BI AVG C.Puckett 2B 6 1 2 1 .289 J.Simmons DH 5 0 2 0 .303 B.Harris 3B 5 0 1 0 .296 P.Redman RF 5 1 1 1 .271 L.Ford CF 5 0 0 0 .346 R.Castro 3B 6 0 0 0 .253 B.Hall DH 6 0 0 0 .219 C.Wells CF 5 0 0 0 .310 J.Brodin RF 6 0 1 0 .244 F.Lewis LF 6 1 1 0 .221 B.Bantz 1B 6 1 3 1 .275 L.Lopez 1B 5 0 1 0 .217 J.Myers LF 4 0 0 0 .234 D.Almonte PR 0 1 0 0 .208 J.Vazquez C 5 0 0 0 .229 L.Rodriguez C 6 0 2 1 .201 S.Miranda SS 4 0 0 0 .186 J.Martinez 2B 6 0 4 1 .235 M.Richard SS 4 0 0 0 .261 47 2 7 2 48 3 11 3 L Island 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 7 2 Bridgeport 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 - 3 11 1 2B--J.Simmons (21), F.Lewis (6). HR--C.Puckett (5), B.Bantz (2), P.Redman (9). RBI--C.Puckett (49), B.Bantz (8), P.Redman (38), L.Rodriguez (27), J.Martinez (29). SH--P.Redman (0), M.Richard (0). SB--J.Brodin (12). E--S.Miranda 2 (6), M.Richard (13). LOB--L Island 10, Bridgeport 12. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L Island B.Zimmermann 6.0 5 1 1 0 0 0 4.66 J.Lansford 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3.16 E.Niesen 1.0 1 1 1 1 1 1 2.33 B.Lorin 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.25 R.Whitenack (L,1-3) 3.2 4 1 1 2 3 0 4.15 12.2 11 3 3 3 5 1 Bridgeport J.Rodriguez 5.2 5 2 2 4 4 2 3.18 J.Chapman 1.1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.32 T.Gustafson 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1.87 W.Abreu 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.23 J.Bateman (W,2-3) 4.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 4.21 13 7 2 2 4 10 2 WP--J.Rodriguez (5). SO--B.Harris, L.Ford, B.Hall 4, B.Bantz 2, J.Vazquez, S.Miranda, J.Simmons, R.Castro, C.Wells 2, F.Lewis. BB--B.Harris, L.Ford, J.Myers, S.Miranda, J.Simmons, C.Wells, L.Lopez. BF--B.Zimmermann 24 (94), J.Lansford 4 (136), E.Niesen 5 (178), B.Lorin 3 (153), R.Whitenack 17 (116), J.Rodriguez 27 (124), J.Chapman 4 (168), T.Gustafson 4 (178), W.Abreu 3 (129), J.Bateman 13 (194). P-S--B.Zimmermann 79-52, J.Lansford 15-10, E.Niesen 17-12, B.Lorin 10-6, R.Whitenack 65-37, J.Rodriguez 94-56, J.Chapman 18-11, T.Gustafson 17-10, W.Abreu 16-10, J.Bateman 50-32. T--4:06. A--1219 Game Two of Day/Night DH Weather: Super Humid Plate Umpire - David Sperenza, Field Umpire #1 - Tony Senia, Field Umpire #3 - Manolo Alejandro