The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Central Islip, N.Y. – The Long Island Ducks (4-5, 40-39) carried a three-run second into an early lead and an eventual 7-4 victory over the Somerset Patriots (3-5, 45-33) Saturday night at Bethpage Ballpark.
Long Island opened the scoring in the second inning on a two-run double from Jordan Pacheco and a sacrifice fly from Dan Lyons. Somerset responded immediately on a solo inside-the-park home Scott Kelly (1). 
Kelly launched the ball off the fence in left field that bounced back in into the field of play after left-fielder Lew Ford failed to make the catch. Kelly rounded the bases before the ball was relayed back to the infield.
Ruben Gotay extended the Long Island lead back out to three with an RBI single in the third before Carlos Guzman answered with a two-out RBI single in the top of the fourth. However, the Ducks bumped their lead back out to three in the bottom of the fourth on Quintin Berry’s RBI double.
Dan Lyons added a two-run home run in the sixth to increase the Ducks lead out 7-2. The Patriots cut into the lead on an RBI infield single from Kelly and a bases-loaded walk to Alfredo Rodriguez in the eighth, but the comeback ended there.
“Long Island did a good job of maximizing their opportunities tonight,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “We weren’t able to get the big hits when we needed them.”
Rafael Perez (6-5) earned the win after he allowed two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts over six innings. Will Oliver (3-2) took the loss, yielding seven runs on eight hits in six innings. David Aardsma (8) earned the save with a scoreless inning-and-a-third.
The Patriots and Ducks conclude their series Sunday evening. Lucas Irvine (5-2, 4.26 ERA) takes the mound against Ducks’ righty Dennis O’Grady (4-5, 5.17 ERA). First pitch at Bethpage Ballpark is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
Tickets to the 2017 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford, which includes the team’s 20th Anniversary, are on sale now. For more information, stop by the ballpark, call (908) 252-0700, or 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 37 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 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 to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population.
For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.
