Rojas Delivers Two Walk-Offs as Crabs Sweep Doubleheader

Crabs snap season-long four-game skid with two wins against Charleston

WALDORF, MD – Carlos Rojas played the hero twice for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (7-7, 48-29) in a doubleheader sweep of the Charleston Dirty Birds (5-9, 28-49) on Saturday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. Rojas ended a back-and-forth game one with a single to center field to give the Crabs a 6-5 win in nine innings. He then helped the Crabs overcome an early five-run deficit with a pinch-hit walk-off single in game two to finish a 9-8 win.

Game One

W: Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa (2-0)

L: Riskiel Tineo (1-2)

The Blue Crabs jumped on Charleston starting pitcher Keyvius Sampson for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Dylan Hoy doubled to lead off the frame and Alejandro De Aza followed with a single. Danny Bautista Jr. brought Hoy home with an RBI groundout and De Aza scored on an Ezequiel Pagan RBI double. Ethan Wilson capped the rally with an RBI single to give Southern Maryland a 3-0 lead.

The Dirty Birds found an answer in the top of the second inning. Isaias Tejeda led off the inning with a single against Blue Crabs starting pitcher Justin Sanchez before Jhon Nunez hit a two-run home run to left field to bring Charleston within a run, 3-2.

The Crabs got some cushion again in the third inning. Pagan cracked a 381-foot solo home run to right field, his 10th home run of the season, to extend Southern Maryland’s lead to 4-2.

Charleston responded in the top of the fifth inning. James Nelson reached on a throwing error by Sanchez then scored on a Carlos De La Cruz RBI double. Blue Crabs relief pitcher Ethan Hammerberg then struck out Tejeda to end the inning and hold Southern Maryland’s lead at 4-3.

Sanchez was solid on the mound for Southern Maryland. Over 4.2 innings, he allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The Dirty Birds leveled the game in the top of the sixth inning. Wendell Rijo tagged Hammerberg for a solo home run to tie the game at 4-4. It was the first home run Hammerberg has allowed this season.

Neither team could break the deadlock through seven innings and the game went into extra innings.

Charleston scored the placed runner on a Nunez sacrifice fly to take a 5-4 lead, but Blue Crabs relief pitcher Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa did not allow a hit and held the Dirty Birds to just the one run. In the bottom of the inning, Bautista Jr. tied the game with an RBI single but Charleston relief pitcher Riskiel Tineo worked out of trouble to force a ninth inning with the score tied at 5-5.

Hoopii-Tuionetoa rolled two ground balls before striking out Demetrius Moorer in a scoreless top of the ninth inning. Carlos Rojas then came through in the bottom of the inning with a walk-off RBI single to give the Crabs a 6-5 win in extra innings.

Game Two

W: Garrett Ouellette (2-1)

L: Carlos Meza (1-1)

Charleston quickly fired up their offense with a five-run top of the first inning. Narciso Crook had the big swing in the inning with a two-run home run off Blue Crabs starting pitcher Greg Minier. Southern Maryland mounted a strong response in the bottom of the frame. Danny Bautista Jr. started the scoring with an RBI single. Ethan Wilson and Jordan Thompson followed with back-to-back RBI doubles and a Charleston error brought the score to 5-4 Dirty Birds after one inning.

The Dirty Birds added another run in the top of the second inning on a James Nelson solo home run. Once again, the Blue Crabs responded, this time to take the lead. Phillip Sikes tagged Charleston starting pitcher Jordan Jackson for a two-run home run, his team-leading 11th homer of the year. Later in the inning, Wilson hit an RBI triple and Thompson added an RBI single to give the Crabs an 8-6 lead.

After a tough first two innings, Minier settled in to finish four innings. He allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks but his six strikeouts helped him leave the game in line for the win.

Both offenses remained quiet until Charleston came to the plate in the top of the seventh inning. Carlos De La Cruz led off the inning with a solo home run off Blue Crabs relief pitcher Ethan Bates. Later in the inning, Javier Crespo and Jaylen Smith lifted consecutive sacrifice flies to give the Dirty Birds an 8-7 lead.

Southern Maryland then woke the bats up in the bottom of the inning. The Crabs loaded the bases against Charleston relief pitcher Carlos Meza on a walk, single, and hit by pitch. Carlos Rojas came off the bench as a pinch hitter and delivered his second walk-off hit of the night with a two-run single to center field to give the Blue Crabs a 9-8 win.

The Blue Crabs conclude their six-game series against the Charleston Dirty Birds on Friday, July 18 at Regency Furniture Stadium. First pitch is at 1:05 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. UFC star and Southern Maryland native Sodiq Yusuff will be in attendance to throw out the first pitch. 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.