The Long Island Ducks made a valiant rally in the bottom of the 9th inning to force extra innings, but ultimately fell to the Sugar Land Skeeters 5-2 in 11 innings.
Adam Bailey. Photo by: Stacy Podelski/1495 Sports
The loss was the Ducks (2-1) first in the second half of the season and ended a seven-game winning streak for the team. Long Island took two-out-of-three from Sugar Land (2-2) in this series.
Things started off as a pitcher’s duel between starters Bobby Blevins of Long Island and Sugar Land’s Matt Wright. The two hurlers matched “zeroes” on the scoreboard for seven innings. Wright allowed just three hits and walked only two Ducks batters through seven innings while Blevins had allowed only four hits in his first seven innings of work.
Sugar Land finally broke the tie in the top of the 8th on a two-out, RBI-single by DH Delwyn Young who laced a hit to right field to score Ryan Langerhans.
The visitors added another run in the top of the 9th off reliever Brett Lorin. A one-out double by Taylor Harbin set up the run which crossed the plate on an error by Long Island catcher Brandon Bantz who was playing his first game for the Ducks.
Bantz made amends in the bottom of the 9th inning when the Ducks rallied to send the game to extra innings. Adam Bailey and Brendan Harris led off with back-t0-back singles. After Joash Brodin moved the runners to up one base on a fielder’s choice, Bantz came through with a clutch single to tie the game at 2-2.
Neither team scored in the 10th inning, but Sugar Land broke the game open in the 11th off reliever Jon Meloan. With two outs, Adam Godwin came through with the big hit, a 2-RBI single that made the score 4-2 Sugar Land. A wild pitch by Meloan increased the Ducks’ deficit to 5-2.
The Ducks were unable to rally again in the bottom of the 11th as relief pitcher Brian Broderick shut them down to earn his fourth save of the season. Gary Majewski earned the win for Sugar Land to increase his record to 5-0. Meloan was tagged with his first loss of the season.
Long Island returns to action at Bethpage Ballpark on Thursday night as they start a four-game road trip against the Lancaster Barnstormers. The next home game will be on July 18th, after the all-star break.
NOTES:
Three Ducks were named to the Atlantic League All-Star Game. Outfielders Lew Ford and Adam Bailey were selected as was starting pitcher Shaun Garceau. The All-Star Game will be played July 16th at Constellation Field, the home of the Sugar Land Skeeters.
Attendance was 5,365.
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