Crabs Fall in 11-9 Slugfest Against Dirty Birds

Both teams club four home runs, Charleston’s Rijo hits three with seven RBI

W: David Lebron (2-3)

L: Ian Kahaloa (6-5)

SV: Francisco Mateo (1)

WALDORF, MD – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (7-8, 48-30) came up short in an 11-9 slugfest against the Charleston Dirty Birds (6-9, 29-49) on Sunday afternoon at Regency Furniture Stadium. The teams combined for eight home runs, four each. Three of Charleston’s home runs came with runners on base, including two of Wendell Rijo’s three blasts. Three of Southern Maryland’s home runs were solo shots.

The Dirty Birds took advantage of a Blue Crabs defensive miscue to strike first in the top of the first inning. A fielding error by Southern Maryland left fielder Ezequiel Pagan allowed Narciso Crook to reach second base. Carlos De La Cruz followed with an RBI single to right field to give Charleston a 1-0 lead.

The Blue Crabs leveled the game in the bottom of the second inning. Pagan atoned for his error with a leadoff 387-foot solo home run to right field, his 11th homer of the season, to tie the game at 1-1.

Charleston then took control of the game with nine runs over the next two innings. Rijo hit a three-run home run in each inning and Crook hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning as the Dirty Birds took a 10-1 lead.

Blue Crabs starting pitcher Ian Kahaloa weathered one of the toughest starts of his Atlantic League career. Over four innings, he allowed 10 runs, nine earned. He surrendered seven hits, including three home runs, two walks, and three hit batters.

The Blue Crabs clawed two runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ethan Wilson and Jackson Loftin hit back-to-back solo home runs on consecutive pitches from Charleston starting pitcher David Lebron. Wilson’s home run was his seventh of the season and Loftin’s homer was his third as the Crabs trimmed their deficit to 10-3.

Southern Maryland continued to make up the gap in the fifth inning. Phillip Sikes and Brody Fahr started the inning with a pair of singles. Sikes scored on an RBI groundout by Danny Bautista Jr. Later in the inning, Jordan Thompson hit a three-run home run to left field, his first Atlantic League home run, to bring the Crabs within three runs at 10-7.

The Crabs kept chipping away as the game went on. Bautista Jr. smacked an RBI double to the left center gap in the sixth inning to close their gap to 10-8.

Charleston got one run of insurance back on Rijo’s third home run of the game, a solo blast to left field in the seventh inning, to extend the Dirty Birds’ lead to 11-8.

The Dirty Birds bullpen then held the Blue Crabs in check for the final three innings. Southern Maryland scored one run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a Carlos Rojas sacrifice fly, but Francisco Mateo worked out of further trouble to finish an 11-9 win for Charleston.

The Blue Crabs travel to New York to face the Staten Island FerryHawks for a six-game series, starting on Tuesday, July 21. First pitch is at 6:30 pm. Keith Noonan will have the call on HomeTeam Network. To watch the games or to purchase a subscription, click here.

The Blue Crabs return home to Regency Furniture Stadium to begin a six-game series against the Lancaster Stormers on Tuesday, July 28. First pitch is at 6:35 pm. 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.