Ducks plate three runs in final inning to claim pitcher’s duel
(Photo courtesy of the Skeeters)
(Sugar Land, Texas, June 25, 2017) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Sugar Land Skeeters 6-3 on Sunday night in the third game of a seven-game series at Constellation Field.
GAME VIDEO: Highlights from the ninth inning rally
Ducks starter Matt Larkins and Skeeters starter Brett Marshall engaged in an entertaining pitcher’s duel throughout, though both did not factor into the decision. Larkins pitched seven innings of one-run ball for Long Island, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out six batters. He retired 12 consecutive batters at one point from the third through the seventh inning. Marshall lasted six innings, yielding a run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Long Island opened the scoring in the first inning when Fehlandt Lentini tripled down the left field line and came home on an RBI groundout in to short from Lew Ford. Larkins worked out of a first-and-second, no-out jam in the first but surrendered a run in the third on Travis Scott’s two-out RBI double to right-center.
Both teams would exchange scoreless frames until the top of the ninth when the Ducks rallied for three runs against Skeeters reliever Evan Reed. An RBI single from Jordan Pacheco gave the Flock the lead, and two-out RBI base hits from Giovanny Alfonzo and Lentini extended the advantage to 4-1.
Zac Treece (5-1) collected the win after striking out Bryan Pounds to strand the go-ahead run at second base in the eighth inning. Reed (1-1) suffered the loss, surrendering three runs on five hits with a strikeout in one inning of work. Rob Rogers earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning, yielding just one hit.
Lentini led the Flock with three hits, an RBI and a run in the win. Alex Burg added two hits and a run for Long Island.
The Ducks and Skeeters continue their seven-game set on Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT from Constellation Field. Fans can follow all the action on the Long Island Ducks Broadcast Network. Live streaming HD video and audio will be available via BoxCast on the Ducks’ official Facebook page, YouTube channel and at LIDucks.com. Right-hander Alfredo Simon (0-1, 4.00) gets the ball for the Ducks against Skeeters righty and former Duck Mitch Talbot (1-0, 7.20).
Long Island returns home on Friday, June 30 to kick off a three-game series with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Bethpage Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). It’s a Fowl Pole Friday at the ballpark, and if a select Ducks player hits a home run off of either foul pole, one lucky fan will win $50,000. The Ducks will also be running their Pizza Hut K-Man promotion. If the Blue Crabs player that is designated as the K-Man strikes out during the game, fans will receive a FREE 1-Topping Personal Pan Pizza at a participating Pizza Hut location. Tickets to the game, and all Ducks home 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 36 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{fe96d6e17d87505a1465284f96a4c69c9ad7d7051973bed0757ffc13536530ff} of the US population.
For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.
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Game Date: 06/25/2017 Long Island Ducks 4 AT Sugar Land Skeeters 1 YTD YTD L Island AB R H BI AVG Sugar Land AB R H BI AVG Lentini, F RF 5 1 3 1 .222 Prince, J 2B 3 0 0 0 .240 Cleary Jr., D CF 5 0 0 0 .220 Ahrens, K SS 2 1 1 0 .276 Ford, L LF 4 0 0 1 .271 Scott, T 1B 4 0 1 1 .245 Songco, A DH 3 0 0 0 .284 Pounds, B 3B 4 0 0 0 .179 Burg, A C 4 1 2 0 .256 Giansanti, A RF 4 0 1 0 .305 Pacheco, J 1B 4 1 1 1 .193 Guzman, J DH 4 0 0 0 .190 Gotay, R 3B 3 0 0 0 .188 Olivera, H LF 4 0 1 0 .262 Alfonzo, G 2B 3 1 1 1 .322 Cordero, A C 4 0 1 0 .269 Lyons, D SS 3 0 1 0 .247 Miller, D CF 3 0 0 0 .229 34 4 8 4 32 1 5 1 L Island 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 4 8 1 Sugar Land 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 5 0 2B--Burg, A C (10), Scott, T 1B (11), Giansanti, A RF (9). 3B--Lentini, F RF (3). RBI--Lentini, F RF (11), Ford, L LF (15), Pacheco, J 1B (6), Alfonzo, G 2B (21), TOTALS 4 (0), Scott, T 1B (35), TOTALS (0). HP--Alfonzo, G 2B (2). SH--Lyons, D SS (0). E--Lentini, F RF (1). LOB--L Island 7, Sugar Land 7. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L Island Larkins, M 7.0 4 1 1 2 6 0 4.71 Crider, P 0.2 0 0 0 1 0 0 2.31 Treece, Z (W,5-1) 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 5.54 Rogers, R (S,1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2.73 9 5 1 1 3 7 0 Sugar Land Marshall, B 6.0 3 1 1 2 4 0 4.83 Johnston, A 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.97 Haynes, M 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.00 Reed, E (L,1-1) 1.0 5 3 3 0 1 0 4.94 9 8 4 4 2 8 0 HB--Marshall, B (6). SO--Lentini, F, Cleary Jr., D, Ford, L, Songco, A, Burg, A, Pacheco, J 2, Alfonzo, G, Prince, J, Ahrens, K, Scott, T, Pounds, B 3, Guzman, J. BB--Songco, A, Gotay, R, Prince, J, Ahrens, K 2. BF--Larkins, M 27 (279), Crider, P 3 (94), Treece, Z (118), Rogers, R 4 (121), Marshall, B 24 (338), Johnston, A 3 (106), Haynes, M 3 (109), Reed, E 8 (110). P-S--Larkins, M 93-64, Crider, P 13-7, Treece, Z 5-4, Rogers, R 16-10, Marshall, B 95-54, Johnston, A 9-8, Haynes, M 11-8, Reed, E 23-17. T--2:48. A--3988 Weather: Cloudy, 83, Wind E 9 mph Plate Umpire - Eric Thompson, Field Umpire #1 - 1B John Sevier, Field Umpire #2 - 3B Reggie Liggons