Crabs Clipped by Gastonia 8-7 in 10 Innings

Peppers rally late, Crabs fall to third place in South Division

W: Donovan Benoit (3-0)

L: Donovan Burke (1-1)

WALDORF, MD – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (26-22, 67-45) fell 8-7 to the Gastonia Ghost Peppers (27-22, 65-47) in 10 innings on Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Blue Crabs had a two-run lead entering the ninth inning, but the Ghost Peppers rallied to tie the contest before winning it in extras. Ryan McCarthy picked up three RBI while Gastonia’s Grant Lavigne drove in four.

Both teams found a run in the second inning. Gastonia broke the ice in the top of the inning on a solo home run from Lavigne. Southern Maryland leveled the contest in the bottom of the inning. Jordan Thompson started the inning with a double and McCarthy brought him home with an RBI double to bring the score to 1-1 after two innings.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth inning. McCarthy led off the inning with a 371-foot solo home run, his seventh homer of the season and first since June 30, to give the Blue Crabs a 2-1 lead.

Lavigne did damage again in the top of the sixth inning. He hit his second home run of the game, this time a two-run blast, to put the Ghost Peppers back in front 3-2.

Gastonia starting pitcher Connor Gray recorded his third quality start of the season against Southern Maryland after he finished six innings with just two runs allowed. Once he departed, the Blue Crabs offense got to work in the bottom of the seventh inning. Alejandro De Aza hit an RBI single to tie the game before Taylor Darden had an RBI single of his own to give the Crabs a 4-3 advantage.

Justin Wylie smacked a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game at 4-4. That blast ended a strong night for Blue Crabs starting pitcher Ian Kahaloa. Over 7.2 innings of work, he allowed four runs on seven hits with a season-high nine strikeouts. He crossed the 100 strikeout mark for the third time in his Atlantic League career, the seventh pitcher in league history to accomplish the feat.

The teams then traded blows in the late innings. The Blue Crabs took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning after a run-scoring error by Gastonia’s Justin Wylie and another RBI single by De Aza. Gastonia then rallied back in the top of the ninth inning as Jace Rinehart crushed a two-run home run to tie the game at 6-6.

Gastonia relief pitcher Donovan Benoit tossed a perfect bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings.

The Ghost Peppers brought home a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning on an RBI double by Lavigne and RBI single by Chris Proctor to take an 8-6 lead. The Blue Crabs found one run in response on a Stephen Paolini sacrifice fly, but Benoit held on to secure an 8-7 win for Gastonia.

The Blue Crabs continue their series against the Gastonia Ghost Peppers on Saturday, August 29 at Regency Furniture Stadium. First pitch is at 6:35 pm. The Blue Crabs celebrate Western Night as all fans wearing western-themed outfits will receive free admission to the game. To purchase tickets, click here.

The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have been proud members of the Atlantic League since 2008, the fourth-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.