The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Waldorf, MD- The Somerset Patriots (7-2, 42-30) fell to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (5-4, 31-41) by a score of 6-5 in 10 innings in the series finale on Thursday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.
The Patriots got the scoring underway for the third consecutive night when Alfredo Rodriguez smashed an RBI double down the left field line in the first inning, scoring Craig Massey to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead. 
Southern Maryland would respond right away, with a Jon Griffin RBI double and an RBI groundout from Angelys Nina to give them a 2-1 lead.
However, Somerset would answer right back, scoring in the top of the second on a double play hit into by Yovan Gonzalez that scored Justin Trapp to tie the game at 2-2.
A pitcher’s duel then ensued between Rick Teasley and Blue Crabs’ starter Brett Marshall, trading multiple scoreless innings until the bottom of the sixth. There, Nina capped off three straight two-out hits with a three-run blast to give the Blue Crabs a 5-2 lead.
But, again, the Patriots came roaring back. An RBI single from Ramon Flores and another RBI double from Rodriguez made it a 5-4 game in the top of the seventh. Gonzalez then tied the game with a line drive single into left field an inning later, setting up an extra-inning battle in the series finale.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the 10th, when Angelo Songco cracked a walk-off winning single down the right field line to score Edwin Garcia and give the Blue Crabs a 6-5 win.
Teasley allowed five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts over 6.2 innings in a no-decision. Marshall also picked up a no-decsion after allowing four runs over 6.1 innings of work.
Chris Mazza (1-0) gets the win for Southern Maryland in his second game with the team since signing earlier this month. He worked a scoreless 10th inning.
Dustin Molleken (1-1) allowed a run in the bottom of the 10th to take the loss.
The 2018 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford will continue on the road until Monday, July 23rd when the Patriots return to TD Bank Ballpark for a 7:05 pm game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The game includes Bark In The Park Night. The team has clinched a playoff spot already by winning the 2018 Liberty Division First Half Championship. For tickets, visit www.somersetpatriots.com.
About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 38 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 900 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment.
For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.
