Blue Crabs Sweep Ducks in Doubleheader

Masterful pitching carries team in Game One before late comeback in nightcap

WALDORF, MD – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (32-15) recorded a doubleheader sweep of the Long Island Ducks (26-21) on Saturday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Crabs toyed with a no-hitter in Game One before a remarkable walk-off win in Game Two.

GAME ONE

W: Isaac Fix (1-0)

L: Tanner Jacobson (0-2)

SV: Ethan Hammerberg (1)

The first game resumed with no score in the second inning. Both starting pitchers, Kyle Virbitsky for Southern Maryland and Michael Dominguez for Long Island, held the offenses scoreless on Friday before rain suspended the game.

The Blue Crabs scored first in the bottom of the fourth inning. Danny Bautista Jr. reached on a one-out single before stealing second base. A pair of wild pitches by Long Island relief pitcher Tanner Jacobson allowed him to score to give the Blue Crabs a 1-0 lead.

Blue Crabs relief pitcher Isaac Fix had his best outing of the season. He threw four hitless innings while holding the Ducks scoreless. He scattered two walks while striking out three batters.

Southern Maryland added a key insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jackson Loftin started the rally with a single to left field off of Long Island relief pitcher Scott Alexander. After stealing second base, Ethan Wilson brought him in with an RBI single to right field to double the Blue Crabs’ lead to 2-0.

Carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, the Crabs turned to relief pitcher Ethan Hammerberg for his first save opportunity of the season. Down to their final out, the Ducks recorded their first hit on a Ronaldo Hernandez single and their first run on a Marcus Chiu RBI single, but Hammerberg secured the final out for a 2-1 Blue Crabs win.

GAME TWO

W: Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa (1-0)

L: Bryan Shaw (0-1)

Jackson Loftin jumped on the first pitch Long Island starting pitcher Ryan Langford threw in the bottom of the first inning for a solo home run. His first home run of the season travelled 360 feet to give the Blue Crabs a 1-0 lead.

Blue Crabs starting pitcher Connor Overton was strong through two innings, but the Ducks tagged him for seven runs between the third and fourth innings. A two-run single for Anthony Garcia in the third inning put Long Island on top before five runs in the fourth inning extended their advantage to 7-1.

Southern Maryland went back to work at the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Brody Fahr and Viandel Pena reached on walks to start the inning, Phillip Sikes drove a 422-foot three-run home run to center field, his fifth homer of the season, to cut the Blue Crabs’ deficit to 7-4.

The Ducks padded their lead in the top of the seventh inning with an RBI double by Chris Roller. However, the Crabs battled back in the bottom of the inning. Three consecutive RBI singles off of Long Island relief pitcher Bryan Shaw by Loftin, Fahr, and Pena brought Southern Maryland within a run with the winning run on first base. Sikes drove an RBI double to the left field wall to tie the game at 8-8. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, Alejandro De Aza cracked a walk-off RBI single to left field to give the Crabs an improbable 9-8 victory.

The Blue Crabs conclude their six-game series against the Long Island Ducks on Sunday, June 14 at Regency Furniture Stadium. First pitch is at 1:35 pm.

Every Sunday at Regency Furniture Stadium is Family Day. After the game, kids can take the field for Kids Run the Bases, presented by Raising Cane’s, followed by player autographs for all fans. All kids participating in Kids Run the Bases will receive a certificate for a free combo meal from Raising Cane’s.

The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have been proud members of the Atlantic League since 2008, the third-longest tenured team in the league. With a proud tradition of success on and off the field, many players have found a home while playing in front of Crustacean Nation, the nickname for the Blue Crabs’ avid fanbase. A host of former Major Leaguers have played for the Blue Crabs, including Chien-Ming Wang, Pat Mahomes Sr., and team legend Daryl Thompson. Many players have also made it to the Major Leagues after playing with Southern Maryland, including Isaac Mattson of the Pittsburgh Pirates. 2026 marks the 18th season of Blue Crabs baseball at Regency Furniture Stadium, where Clawsome Times Await.