Ducks win third straight game with late-inning magic

(Central Islip, N.Y., May 21, 2014) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 3-2 in 12 innings on Wednesday night in the third game of a four-game series at Bethpage Ballpark.

GAME AUDIO: Highlights from the walk-off win

POSTGAME VIDEO: Cody Puckett, Jan Vazquez and Fernando Hernandez talk about the dramatic victory

Both sides were held scoreless until the fifth when Allan de San Miguel put the Blue Crabs on top with a RBI single off Ducks starter Fernando Hernandez. Jake Opitz doubled the lead to 2-0 in the sixth with a solo homer to right.

Long Island answered back with a run in the bottom of the sixth on Adam Bailey’s two-out RBI single to right off Blue Crabs starter Gabriel Hernandez. It stayed 2-1 until the bottom of the ninth when Jan Vazquez tied the game with a leadoff solo homer to right off Blue Crabs closer Jim Ed Warden.

The two teams exchanged zeroes until the bottom of the 12th. After hits by Joash Brodin and Randy Ruiz, Cody Puckett lined a walk-off RBI double over the head of Dave Sappelt in center to end the ballgame.

Neither starter factored into the decision. Long Island’s Hernandez allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out three, and Southern Maryland’s Hernandez gave up one run on seven hits with three strikeouts. Eric Niesen (1-0) earned the win after pitching a scoreless inning, striking out two. Jake Brown (2-1) suffered the loss, surrendering a run on three hits in one and one-third innings of relief.

Brodin led the Flock with three hits while Puckett, Bailey, Lew Ford and Brendan Harris each added two.

The Ducks and Blue Crabs wrap up their four-game set on Thursday night. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Bethpage Ballpark gates opening at 5:35. It’s “Don’t Zone Out” Night at the ballpark! The first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Static Cling Decals, courtesy of CSEA. Right-hander Jared Lansford gets the start for Long Island against Southern Maryland righty Ian Marshall.

Tickets for the game and every Ducks regular season home games are now on sale. Fans can purchase their tickets by visiting the Bethpage Ballpark box office, calling 631-940-TIXX or by CLICKING HERE. Those unable to make the game can follow all the action live online. Streaming video and audio will be available on the Ducks official YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE.

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Duck Tales: The waddle-off victory was Long Island’s first of the 2014 season. Last year, the Ducks collected nine walk-off wins during the regular season and one in the playoffs. Tonight was also the Ducks 10th come-from-behind win of the year and third when trailing after seven innings…Lew Ford extended his on-base streak to 17 consecutive games with a walk in the first inning. That’s the longest by a Duck this season and the longest in the Atlantic League in 2014. Ford has also now hit safely in nine consecutive games after picking up two hits on the night. The fifth-year Duck has a team-leading 10 multi-hit games in 2014…Cody Puckett has now collected at least one hit in 13 of his last 14 games after picking up two hits. The second baseman has reached base in all 14 of those games, giving him the second-longest on-base streak by a Duck this year behind Ford. He also now has nine multi-hit games…Joash Brodin picked up his sixth multi-hit game of the year with three hits, while Adam Bailey collected his fourth. Brodin has now reached base safely in 12 consecutive games while Bailey has reached base in 10 of his last 11 games…Right-hander Fernando Hernandez turned in the Ducks third consecutive quality start with seven innings of two-run baseball. In the last three games, Ducks starters have combined to allow just five runs in 22 innings (2.05 ERA), allowing 20 hits and four walks while striking out 13…Wednesday’s crowd of 4,055 at Bethpage Ballpark increased the all-time attendance at the Duck Pond to 5,995,334, which is an Atlantic League record. Long Island is now just 4,666 fans away from reaching the magical 6 million fan mark…The Ducks are now just one win away from earning their 600th regular season home victory in franchise history. In addition, they are also 15 wins away from earning their 1,000th regular season victory in franchise history.

 

 Game Date: 05/21/2014 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 2 AT Long Island Ducks 3 (EXTRA INNINGS) YTD YTD S Maryland AB R H BI AVG L Island AB R H BI AVG B.Barton LF 5 0 0 0 .150 F.Lentini RF 6 0 0 0 .265 A.Zazueta SS 5 0 0 0 .273 B.Harris 3B 6 0 2 0 .273 C.Hankerd 1B 5 0 1 0 .294 L.Ford CF 5 0 2 0 .376 C.Ziegler 3B 5 0 0 0 .250 J.Brodin 1B 5 2 3 0 .242 J.Opitz DH 5 2 3 1 .308 R.Ruiz DH 6 0 1 0 .222 D.Sappelt CF 5 0 1 0 .333 C.McClendon PR 0 0 0 0 .150 J.McDonald 2B 5 0 1 0 .289 C.Puckett 2B 6 0 2 1 .298 A.de San Miguel C 4 0 1 1 .186 A.Bailey LF 5 0 2 1 .231 J.Mitchell RF 3 0 1 0 .206 J.Vazquez C 5 1 1 1 .167 D.Lyons SS 5 0 1 0 .258 42 2 8 2 49 3 14 3 S Maryland 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 8 2 L Island 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 - 3 14 1 2B--A.de San Miguel (2), L.Ford (7), C.Puckett (3). HR--J.Opitz (3), J.Vazquez (1). RBI--J.Opitz (11), A.de San Miguel (3), C.Puckett (12), A.Bailey (13), J.Vazquez (1). SB--J.Mitchell (3). CS--D.Sappelt (2). E--C.Ziegler (3), J.McDonald (11), D.Lyons (4). LOB--S Maryland 5, L Island 14. DP--A. Zazueta(SS) - G. Hernandez(P) - C. Hankerd(1B), C. Puckett(2B) - B. Harris(3B) - J. Brodin(1B). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA S Maryland G.Hernandez 6.0 7 1 1 1 3 0 6.00 E.Massingham 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.60 E.Hamren 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1.46 J.Warden 1.0 3 1 1 1 2 1 2.31 P.Parise 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.45 J.Brown (L,2-1) 1.1 3 1 1 0 0 0 2.20 11.1 14 3 3 2 6 1 L Island F.Hernandez 7.0 7 2 2 1 3 1 2.28 B.Lorin 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 L.Rosales 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1.46 J.Accardo 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.09 E.Niesen (W,1-0) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 12 8 2 2 1 7 1 SO--C.Hankerd, C.Ziegler, J.Opitz, J.McDonald 2, A.de San Miguel, J.Mitchell, B.Harris, L.Ford, R.Ruiz 2, D.Lyons 2. BB--J.Mitchell, L.Ford, J.Brodin. BF--G.Hernandez 26 (79), E.Massingham 4 (42), E.Hamren 4 (50), J.Warden 7 (48), P.Parise 3 (64), J.Brown 7 (66), F.Hernandez 28 (99), B.Lorin 6 (46), L.Rosales 3 (50), J.Accardo 3 (46), E.Niesen 3 (56). P-S--G.Hernandez 78-53, E.Massingham 17-11, E.Hamren 15-11, J.Warden 23-13, P.Parise 9-5, J.Brown 20-15, F.Hernandez 98-64, B.Lorin 16-12, L.Rosales 15-11, J.Accardo 6-4, E.Niesen 12-9. T--3:34. A--4055 12-minute delay in the middle of the fourth inning due to a power surge Plate Umpire - Richard Katz, Field Umpire #1 - Manolo Alejandro, Field Umpire #2 - Frank Leparik