Waldorf, Md. – The Somerset Patriots (16-8) split Sunday’s doubleheader against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (12-12) at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Blue Crabs took game one 7-3, while the Patriots responded with a season-high 13 runs in game two for a 13-5 victory.
Southern Maryland took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in game one on a Zach Wilson sacrifice fly. They added two more runs in the second on back-to-back RBI doubles from Patrick Palmeiro and Edwin Garcia.
Somerset rallied to tie the ballgame with three runs in the top of the sixth on a Aharon Eggleston RBI single, a run-scoring fielder’s choice and a Carlos Guzman sacrifice fly. The tie was short-lived, however, and the Blue Crabs responded with two-run homers from Palmeiro (4) and Gary Brown (3) in the bottom of the sixth to regain a 7-3 lead.
Daryl Thompson (2-2) earned the win, yielding three runs on seven hits over six innings. Mitch Atkins (2-3) took the loss after he allowed seven runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work.
The Patriots opened up game two with a five-run top of the first inning, including a Jerry Sands three-run home run and a Scott Kelly two-run triple. The Blue Crabs matched the five-run frame with one of their own in the bottom of the second, tying the ballgame on a Palmeiro (5) two-run homer and Michael Snyder’s three-run double.
Somerset regained the lead in the third on a two-out RBI single from Chris Grayson before the game was opened-up in the fourth. The Patriots brought 12 batters to the plate in the fourth and scored six runs, including a two-run home run from Olmo Rosario and a Guzman RBI double.
The Patriots topped off the scoring in the top of the fifth on a Kelly RBI double, finishing with a season-high 13 runs on 13 hits.
“I found a couple of holes today and was able to barrel some balls up,” said Guzman, who finished game two with three hits and three runs scored. “I plan on just using this momentum to keep it going moving forward.”
Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision. Justin Wright (2-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Britt Robertshaw (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run over two innings of relief.
Somerset has Monday off before beginning a four-game series against the Sugar Land Skeeters at TD Bank Ballpark on Tuesday.
Tickets to the 2017 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford, which includes the team’s 20th Anniversary, are on sale now. TD Bank Ballpark will be the host of the 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by RWJBarnabas Health and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey on Wednesday, July 12th. For more information, stop by the ballpark, call (908) 252-0700, or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.
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