Ducks Even Up Series 1-1 With Late Inning Rally

Central Islip, NY- The Long Island Ducks held off a late Somerset Patriots rally with one of their own to take Game Two of the Liberty Division Championship Series 5-4 at Bethpage Ballpark on Thursday night.

Following a series opener that saw Somerset’s bats come to life, the team struggled against Long Island starter Darin Downs, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

“Downs threw the ball great. He wasn’t really missing any spots. He was mixing it up well, moving in and out, so he made it very tough to get anything going. But you knew it was just a matter of time; we could try to outlast him a little bit,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie.

The Ducks took an early 1-0 lead in the second on a sacrifice fly by Cody Puckett.

A second sacrifice fly by Dan Lyons, coupled with an RBI single by Puckett in the fourth, gave Long Island a 3-0 advantage.

The Patriots later broke through in the top of the eighth inning. After Jonny Tucker drew a one-out walk, Robert Andino got Somerset on the board with an RBI single. A catcher’s interference and another walk loaded the bases for Michael Burgess, who plated a run on a fielding error from the first baseman Sean Burroughs. Matt Fields followed with a two-run double to give the Patriots their first lead of the night at 4-3.

The Ducks answered immediately in the bottom of the frame on a wild pitch by reliever Dan Sattler and a game-winning Burroughs RBI single to put Long Island up 5-4.

“The obtainable goal – the one you try to go in with – is the split. But obviously when you get the first one, you want to get the second one also. And we were in position to do it. That’s what is frustrating; we battled back to make a ballgame out of it. At least we’re going back home and have the chance to win the series there,” Jodie said.

J.C. Romero (1-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing a run on one hit in 1.2 innings pitched. Sattler (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing a run in a third of an inning pitched.

The 2015 Liberty Division Championship Series will continue with Game 3 at TD Bank Ballpark on Friday night at 7:05 pm. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.somersetpatriots.com.