(Photo courtesy of Jordan McGregor)
(Hagerstown, Md., July 25, 2026) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars 5-3 on Saturday night in the fifth game of a six-game series at Meritus Park.
Long Island took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on Alsander Womack’s two-out, two-run home run to left field off Flying Boxcars righty Johnny Barbato. Hagerstown tied the game in the fifth on Robert Brooks’ solo homer to right off Ducks starter Drew VerHagen and Jordan Peyton’s RBI double down the left field line, but Garrett Crowley struck out Alex Isola and Darick Hall to leave the bases loaded.
It stayed that way until the eighth when the Ducks plated three runs to take a 5-2 lead. Gavin Collins’ RBI single to right and Jorge Bonifacio’s two-run homer to left did the damage. Cristhian Rodriguez lifted a solo homer to center in the eighth, closing the gap to two, but Hagerstown would get no closer.
VerHagen did not factor into the decision but pitched four and one-third innings of two-run ball, allowing six hits while striking out two. Sal Romano (3-0) picked up the win after pitching a 1-2-3 seventh inning, striking out one. Clay Helvey (5-4) took the loss, conceding three runs on four hits in the eighth inning. Rafael Kelly earned his eighth save with a scoreless ninth, yielding one hit and striking out one.
Collins and Aaron Takacs each had three hits and a run to lead the Ducks offense, with Collins driving in a run. Womack added two hits, two RBIs and a run.
The Ducks and Flying Boxcars wrap up their six-game series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Meritus Park. Fans can follow all the action live on Dugout TV, powered by HomeTeam Network. Subscribe today by CLICKING HERE. A Ducks starter to be determined toes the rubber against Flying Boxcars righty Jalen Miller (Hagerstown debut).
Long Island returns home on Tuesday, July 28, to begin a six-game series against the Staten Island FerryHawks. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at a special early time of 5:05 for all fans. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive QuackerJack Caps, courtesy of Built Different Sports. It will also be a Pat’s Marketplace Tuesday and 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.
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 726 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.
###
