Offense pounds out 11 runs and 16 hits; Leverett turns in strong start

(Sugar Land, Texas, Sept. 12, 2016) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Sugar Land Skeeters 11-3 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Constellation Field.

GAME AUDIO: Highlights from the offensive showcase

Long Island burst out to a 6-0 lead in the third inning against Skeeters starter Jake Hale. An RBI double by Delta Cleary Jr., a two-run single by Cody Puckett and an RBI single by Mike Blanke highlighted the inning. Sugar Land plated a run on a sac fly by Jeremy Barfield in the fourth.

However, the Ducks responded with five more runs in the fifth to take an 11-1 lead. RBI singles from Anthony Vega and Cleary Jr., along with a three-run double by Fehlandt Lentini, did the damage. Two unearned runs scored in the ninth on a throwing error, but that was as close as the Skeeters would come.

That was plenty for Ducks starter Jarret Leverett (6-8) to earn the win. The left-hander pitched seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just five hits and two walks while striking out seven. Hale (5-3) suffered the loss, surrendering 11 runs (nine earned) on 13 hits in four and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts.

Every Ducks batter earned at least one hit and scored at least one run. Matt Wessinger led the way with three hits, while five others had two. Lentini finished with three RBI, while Puckett added two.

The Ducks and Skeeters continue their three-game set on Tuesday night. Game time is slated for 8:05 p.m. EDT from Constellation Field. Fans can follow all the action live online via the Ducks’ official YouTube channel. Streaming audio will be available by CLICKING HERE. Right-hander Bobby Blevins gets the start for the Ducks against Skeeters southpaw Aaron Thompson.

Following the road trip, the Ducks will begin the 2016 Atlantic League Playoffs on Wednesday, September 21 at a location to be determined. After playing Games One and Two on the road, the Liberty Division Championship Series will return to Long Island on Friday, September 23 for Game Three. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with the Bethpage Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20). The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Playoff Rally Towels, courtesy of News 12 Long Island. Tickets to the game and all Ducks home postseason games are available by visiting the Bethpage Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE.

The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. For further information, call (631) 940-DUCK or visit www.liducks.com.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 35 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15{508e0238204740d3d9c141f5965096b8721e890fc8446b80b243ba5070871f7e} of the US population.

For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.

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 Game Date: 09/12/2016 Long Island Ducks 11 AT Sugar Land Skeeters 3 YTD YTD L Island AB R H BI AVG Sugar Land AB R H BI AVG Vega, A CF 6 2 2 1 .246 Dominguez, J CF,LF 3 0 1 0 .245 Lentini, F RF 5 2 2 3 .313 Tosoni, R CF 3 1 2 0 .296 Cleary Jr., D DH 5 1 2 1 .324 Martinez, J LF,PH 2 0 0 0 .000 Puckett, C 3B 4 1 2 2 .277 Barfield, J RF 3 0 0 1 .308 Colvin, T 1B 5 1 1 0 .194 Young, D DH 4 0 0 0 .291 Blanke, M C 3 1 1 1 .248 Scott, T 1B 4 0 2 0 .254 Wessinger, M 2B 5 1 3 0 .211 Rodriguez, W C 3 0 0 0 .283 Scura, C LF 5 1 1 1 .108 Palmeiro, P 3B 4 0 0 0 .245 Hughes, C SS 5 1 2 0 .164 Zawadzki, L SS 3 1 1 0 .255 Weems, B 2B 4 1 1 0 .236 43 11 16 9 33 3 7 1 L Island 0 0 6 0 5 0 0 0 0 - 11 16 2 Sugar Land 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 - 3 7 2 2B--Lentini, F RF (39), Cleary Jr., D DH (17), Tosoni, R CF (19), Weems, B 2B (16). RBI--Vega, A CF (41), Lentini, F RF 3 (71), Cleary Jr., D DH (49), Puckett, C 3B 2 (69), Blanke, M C (50), Scura, C LF (1), TOTALS 9 (0), Barfield, J RF (81), TOTALS (0). HP--Blanke, M C (6), Zawadzki, L SS (3). SF--Barfield, J RF (8). E--Blanke, M C (10), Cabrera, F P (1), Barfield, J RF (7), Weems, B 2B (13). LOB--L Island 8, Sugar Land 9. DP--B. Weems(2B) - L. Zawadzki(SS) - T. Scott(1B), M. Wessinger(2B) - C. Hughes(SS) - T. Colvin(1B). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L Island Leverett, J (W,6-8) 7.0 5 1 1 2 7 0 3.58 Cabrera, F 2.0 2 2 0 1 3 0 5.40 9 7 3 1 3 10 0 Sugar Land Hale, J (L,5-3) 4.2 13 11 9 0 3 0 3.87 Velasquez, J 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4.70 Gleason, S 3.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 9.31 Haynes, M 1.0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0.00 9 16 11 9 2 7 0 WP--Cabrera, F (1). PB--Blanke, M. HB--Leverett, J (1), Hale, J (4). SO--Vega, A 4, Colvin, T, Wessinger, M, Scura, C, Dominguez, J, Young, D, Scott, T, Palmeiro, P 4, Zawadzki, L 2, Weems, B. BB--Puckett, C, Blanke, M, Dominguez, J, Barfield, J, Rodriguez, W. BF--Leverett, J 29 (75), Cabrera, F 10 (43), Hale, J 29 (400), Velasquez, J 2 (257), Gleason, S 10 (52), Haynes, M 5 (5). P-S--Leverett, J 105-70, Cabrera, F 46-30, Hale, J 81-56, Velasquez, J 7-4, Gleason, S 38-20, Haynes, M 18-11. T--2:50. A--3239 Weather: Cloudy, 82 Degrees Plate Umpire - Ken Langford, Field Umpire #1 - 1B Rodney Galloway, Field Umpire #2 - 3B David Frame