The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Central Islip, NY- The Somerset Patriots (16-7, 51-35) rallied late but fell short Wednesday night in a 6-4 loss to the Long Island Ducks (13-8, 43-41) at Bethpage Ballpark.
The Ducks opened the game on a solo home run from David Washington (13) in the bottom of the second inning. Somerset later tied the game on a two-out RBI single from Yovan Gonzalez in the top of the fifth. 
Long Island responded immediately in the next half inning on a Cody Puckett (3) two-run home run. Daniel Fields (5) added a two-run shot of his own in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-1 lead.
The Patriots got a run back in top of the seventh on a run-scoring double play groundout to trim the deficit briefly to three. The Ducks extended their lead to 6-2 on a Lew Ford RBI double the next half inning that once again made it a four-run advantage.
Somerset rallied late in the ninth inning on a Craig Massey sac fly and an Alfredo Rodriguez RBI single to make it a two-run ballgame, but stranded the tying run at first with Francisco Rodriguez on the mound as the comeback fell short.
Tyler Badamo (5-6) earned the win after he allowed one run on eight hits over six innings. Duane Below (6-3) yielded six runs on 12 hits over 6.1 innings to take the loss. Rodriguez (19) earned the save with a scoreless third of an inning.
The 2018 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford continues on Thursday, August 2nd when the Patriots return to TD Bank Ballpark for an 11:05 a.m. game against the New Britain Bees. The game includes Bark In The Park Night. 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.
