WALDORF, Md. (July 04, 2022)—The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs finished the First Half tonight, posting the best half-season winning percentage in Atlantic League history at .727. The Blue Crabs concluded the half with a 48-18 record.
Denson Hull was traded from the Blue Crabs to Charleston Dirty Birds prior to today's game and got the start for Charleston. Hull pitched five innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
The Blue Crabs got the bats going in the first inning when Zach Collier and Jared Walker posted back-to-back doubles. The Blue Crabs kept the scoring going in the fourth inning. With runners on first and second, Michael Baca drove a base hit into right-center field, scoring Joe DeLuca. Ryan Haug later came in on a throwing error by the catcher, Tyler Blaum, extending the lead to 3-0.
Daryl Thompson (W, 7-2) held the Charleston Dirty Birds without a hit for the first five innings, but the Dirty Birds got the bats going in the sixth. Charleston posted five hits in the inning and scored all four runs with two outs in the sixth. The Dirty Birds took a 4-3 lead, their first advantage of the game.
Southern Maryland picked up the slack in the seventh inning. Max Tannenbaum (L, 1-4) entered the game for Charleston and struggled. Michael Wielansky was hit by a pitch to start the inning. The next batter, Zach Collier, ripped a triple down the right-field line, scoring Wielansky to tie the game. Jared Walker then drove in Collier to give the Blue Crabs a 5-4 lead.
Southern Maryland kept the scoring going in the eighth. With runners on the corners and one out, Michael Baca bounced a base hit through the left side, scoring Braxton Lee. Later in the inning, Zach Collier punched a line drive through the right side, scoring Ryan Haug to give the Blue Crabs a 7-4 edge.
In the top of the ninth inning, Mat Latos (SV, 18) entered for the Blue Crabs. Latos allowed a leadoff double to Scott Kelly before walking AJ Bumpass. The next batter, Nick Heath, who pinch-hit for Joe Testa, lifted a triple to dead-center field, cutting the deficit to 7-6. Mat Latos then induced a lineout from Engel Beltre before striking out Corey Bird, securing the 7-6 victory.
The Blue Crabs begin the second half of the season tomorrow, as they take on the Charleston Dirty Birds at 6:35 pm.
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