(Photo courtesy of Jim McKenzie)
(Charleston, W.Va., July 10, 2026) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Charleston Dirty Birds 9-2 on Friday night in the fourth game of a six-game series at GoMart Ballpark.
The Ducks jumped out in front 2-0 in the top half of the first inning on Marcus Chiu’s RBI double to the opposite-field in right and Aaron Takacs’ sacrifice fly to left center off Dirty Birds starting pitcher Josimar Cousin. Long Island took a 3-0 edge in the third thanks to a Gavin Collins sacrifice fly. Charleston got to within 3-1 one half-inning later on Narciso Crook’s solo home run to left field versus Ducks starter Michael Dominguez.
The visitors plated a pair of runs in the fourth for a 5-1 lead on consecutive run-scoring doubles from Alsander Womack and Kole Kaler, and broke the ballgame wide open in the fifth with three more runs for an 8-2 cushion on Jorge Bonifacio’s RBI single and Kaler’s two-run base hit. The Flock added a run in the sixth by way of a Gavin Collins two-out solo dinger the other way in right. Yassel Pino’s solo roundtripper in the home half of the frame was the second and final run the Dirty Birds would get as Long Island won for the 16th time in their last 22 games played overall.
Dominguez (4-2) was the winning pitcher as the right-hander fired six innings of two-run baseball on four hits allowed, walking two while striking out a season-high eight in notching his second quality start of the season. Cousin (0-3) was tagged with the loss, surrendering five runs (four earned) on four hits in three and one-third innings pitched, walking and striking out one.
Kaler had three hits, three RBIs and a stolen base. Bonifacio had a pair of hits, an RBI, two runs scored and a bag swiped, while Marcus Chiu singled, doubled and drove in a run.
The Ducks and Dirty Birds continue their six-game set on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at GoMart Ballpark. Fans can follow all the action live via Dugout TV, powered by HomeTeam Network. Subscribe today by CLICKING HERE. Right-hander Julian Minaya (4-2, 7.84) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Dirty Birds righty Jordan Jackson (5-4, 5.49).
Long Island returns home on Tuesday, July 14, to open a six-game series against the Lancaster Stormers. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). It will be a Pat’s Marketplace Tuesday and a 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.
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