The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs lost 11-9 to the Gastonia Ghost Peppers on Thursday night at Regency Furniture Stadium after Jack Reinheimer hit a deciding two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning. Both teams recorded 11 hits in the Atlantic League matchup.
Southern Maryland entered the game with a 26-21 record and a 67-44 overall mark listed in the standings. Gastonia entered at 26-22 and 64-47.
Gastonia Takes an Early Lead
Gastonia scored first for the third consecutive game, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Grant Lavigne delivered an RBI single before Aaron McKeithan followed with an RBI double.
Southern Maryland answered in the bottom half of the inning when Jackson Loftin hit a 389-foot, three-run home run. Loftin’s ninth homer of the season gave the Blue Crabs a 3-2 lead.
The Gastonia Ghost Peppers scored five runs in the second inning to regain the lead at 7-3, keyed by Cole Roederer’s two-run double.
Southern Maryland Builds Another Lead
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs responded with five runs in the bottom of the third inning, all with two outs. Danny Bautista Jr. hit a two-run single in his first game off the injured list, and Jordan Thompson followed with a two-run home run to left field, his fourth of the season. Dylan Hoy added an RBI single later in the inning to put Southern Maryland ahead 8-7.
Manny Garcia tied the game at 8-8 with an RBI groundout in the top of the fifth inning. A balk by Gastonia relief pitcher Ryan Williamson in the bottom of the fifth inning brought home another Southern Maryland run, giving the Blue Crabs a 9-8 lead.
Jack Reinheimer Delivers the Deciding Hit
Jack Reinheimer put the Gastonia Ghost Peppers back in front with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning. Gastonia added another run in the ninth inning when a runner scored on a double play.
The Gastonia bullpen held Southern Maryland scoreless over the final four innings. Jordan Fisher earned the win, Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa took the loss, and Jake Miednik earned his fourth save of the season.
Next Game at Regency Furniture Stadium
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs were scheduled to continue the series against the Gastonia Ghost Peppers on Friday, August 28, at Regency Furniture Stadium. First pitch was scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with postgame fireworks scheduled after the game.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs answered Gastonia’s early five-run surge and regained the lead in the fifth inning, but Reinheimer’s seventh-inning home run provided the decisive swing. Gastonia’s bullpen then protected the lead while both teams finished with 11 hits.
Source: Original report
