(Central Islip, N.Y., Sept. 25, 2026) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 7-2 on Friday night in Game Three of the Atlantic League Championship Series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark. The Ducks sweep the best-of-five series three games to none and are the 2026 Atlantic League champions.
This marks Long Island’s fifth Atlantic League Championship in franchise history, joining their 2004, 2012, 2013 and 2019 clubs. The Ducks ended 2026, their 26th season of play, by winning the most games in the Atlantic League during the regular season (80), the Second Half North Division Championship with a 43-20 record, the North Division Championship with a three-game sweep of the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, and now, the Atlantic League Championship, finishing the playoffs a perfect 6-0. Long Island’s five Atlantic League Championships are tied for the second-most in league history.
Long Island took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by Henry Kusiak and Jorge Bonifacio off Blue Crabs starter Andrew Thurman. Jacob Robson’s RBI single up the middle in the fourth and Alsander Womack’s RBI double to left-center in the fifth extended the Ducks lead to four.
Wilmer Difo drove a leadoff solo home run over the right field fence in the seventh, pushing the Ducks advantage to 5-0. A two-out, two-run double to right by Ezequiel Pagan in the eighth off Ducks starter Nick Margevicius closed the gap to 5-2. However, an RBI double by Kole Kaler and a run-scoring single from Chris Roller in the bottom of the inning put the game out of reach.
Margevicius (2-0) went the distance, tossing all nine innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out five. He threw 97 pitches in the outing, 79 of which were strikes, and was named the Championship Series Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
Thurman (0-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings with five strikeouts. Womack led the Ducks offense with two doubles, an RBI and a run. Difo added two hits, an RBI and two runs, while 2026 Team MVP Bonifacio collected two hits and an RBI.
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 730 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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