The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs set a franchise record for runs scored in a season with a 5-4 win over the Gastonia Ghost Peppers on Sunday afternoon at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland. Southern Maryland reached 760 runs, breaking the previous record of 759 set in 2009. Alejandro De Aza drove in three runs and collected three hits, including a solo home run and an RBI single.
Southern Maryland entered the game with a 28-22 Atlantic League record and a 69-44 overall record. Gastonia entered at 27-24 in the Atlantic League and 65-49 overall. Kyle Virbitsky earned the win and improved to 11-7, while Ryan Williamson took the loss to fall to 2-1.
Alejandro De Aza Helps Set Southern Maryland Record
Gastonia scored first in the second inning on a Chris Proctor sacrifice fly. Chandler Seagle extended the lead to 2-0 with a solo home run in the third inning.
De Aza answered immediately with a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning, his sixth of the season. Ethan Wilson tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI double in the fourth inning.
Wilson gave Southern Maryland its first lead by opening the sixth inning with his 12th home run of the season. Ryan McCarthy followed with a double and scored on De Aza’s RBI double, producing the Blue Crabs’ record-setting 760th run and making the score 4-2.
De Aza added an RBI single in the eighth inning to extend the advantage to 5-2. Gastonia scored twice in the ninth inning on Proctor’s two-run double, but Southern Maryland held on for the one-run win.
Kyle Virbitsky Records Quality Start
Virbitsky allowed two runs on four hits over six innings. He struck out three batters, did not allow a walk, and reached 101 strikeouts for the season.
The outing was Virbitsky’s seventh quality start of the season. Endrys Briceno held Gastonia to the 5-4 final score in the ninth inning to preserve the Southern Maryland victory.
MSB Analysis
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs paired the franchise scoring milestone with De Aza’s three-hit, three-RBI performance. Virbitsky’s quality start helped Southern Maryland protect its lead, while the Blue Crabs held off Gastonia after the ninth-inning rally.
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have been members of the Atlantic League since 2008. The source’s closing organizational information refers to 2026 as the team’s 18th season of baseball at Regency Furniture Stadium.
Source: Original report
