The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs advanced to the Atlantic League Championship Series with an 11-5 victory over the Lexington Legends in Game Four of the South Division Championship Series on Saturday at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland. Southern Maryland won the division series in four games after scoring in each of the first five innings. The victory marked the Blue Crabs’ first division-series victory since 2015 and the franchise’s third Atlantic League Championship Series berth.
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Build Early Lead
Alejandro De Aza scored as part of a double steal with Jackson Loftin in the first inning, giving Southern Maryland an early lead. The Lexington Legends moved ahead in the second inning on two bases-loaded walks and an RBI fielder’s choice by P.J. Hilson, but the Blue Crabs answered in the bottom of the inning.
Danny Bautista Jr. scored on a passed ball before Taylor Darden hit a three-run home run to left field. The homer was Darden’s first of the postseason and put Southern Maryland ahead 5-3 after two innings.
Lexington scored on a wild pitch by Southern Maryland relief pitcher Adam Bogosian in the third inning. The Blue Crabs responded with RBI singles from Bautista Jr. and Ethan Wilson to extend their lead to 7-4.
Blue Crabs Add Three Runs in Fifth Inning
Xane Washington hit a solo home run for Lexington in the fourth inning, but Loftin answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning. Southern Maryland added three runs in the fifth, including a two-run automatic double by Jordan Thompson and an RBI single from De Aza, to take an 11-5 lead.
Isaac Fix earned the win after throwing 3.2 scoreless innings in bulk relief, while Jack Lynch took the loss for Lexington. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa threw a scoreless eighth inning, and Endrys Briceno closed the game and series for Southern Maryland.
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Advance to Championship Series
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs will face the North Division champion Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League Championship Series. The series begins Tuesday, September 22, at Regency Furniture Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Southern Maryland’s record was listed as 3-1, 73-53, following the victory. The Blue Crabs completed the South Division Championship Series in four games.
MSB Analysis
Southern Maryland combined early offense with a strong bullpen effort to finish the four-game series. The Blue Crabs scored in five consecutive innings before Fix, Hoopii-Tuionetoa and Briceno shut down the Legends to close out the victory.
The 11-5 win sends the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs into the Atlantic League Championship Series against the Long Island Ducks.
Source: Original report
