Blue Crabs Outlast FerryHawks Despite Krause's Three-Hit Night
WALDORF, MD – FerryHawks DH Kevin Krause finished 3-for-5 with 4 RBI Wednesday night at Regency Furniture Stadium, but the Blue Crabs five-run eighth inning allowed Southern Maryland to grab the first game of the rain-shortened two-game set.
Staten Island scored first for the second straight game, plating an opening-inning run against Blue Crabs starter Daryl Thompson. Krause kickstarted his big night with a one-out single into left field, scoring Angel Aguilar to give Staten Island a 1-0 lead. The FerryHawks would get to Thompson again in the fourth inning, taking a 2-0 advantage on Aguilar's RBI groundout. Staten Island's second run was set up by Jaylen Smith's one-out double, his first of the 2022 season.
Thompson hurled five innings for Southern Maryland, allowing the two runs (one earned), with two strikeouts and two walks.
Staten Island starter Julio Teheran cruised through the first four innings, facing just three batters over the minimum without allowing any runs. But in the fifth inning the Blue Crabs struck early and often, taking advantage of a trio of Staten Island errors. Ryan Haug started the frame by reaching on Jaylen Smith's throwing error at third base, before stealing second base. After an error by Teheran on a pickoff attempt to second, Michael Baca bashed a double into centerfield to score Haug and give the Blue Crabs their first run. Jack Sundberg followed by reaching on Darlin De La Rosa's left-field error, before a Rubi Silva single and Jared Walker sacrifice fly gave Southern Maryland their first lead, 3-2. David Harris added a fourth run on his two-out double to left, ending Teheran's second Atlantic League start of the season. Eddie Reynoso came on in relief to record the third out of the inning.
Teheran twirled 4.2 innings, whiffed two and walked three. All four runs that scored with Teheran toeing the rubber were unearned.
The FerryHawks fought valiantly, though, grabbing the lead back from the Blue Crabs in the next inning. Facing Bradley Roney, Southern Maryland's first bullpen arm on Wednesday night, the FerryHawks' first two batters of the sixth inning reached via walk and hit by pitch. After a brief mound visit, Ricardo Cespedes successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt, pushing Javier Betancourt to third and Smith to second. Aguilar would strike out swinging before a two-out walk to Brandon Wagner loaded the bases for Kevin Krause. The FerryHawks DH proceeded to clear the bases and instantly give the lead back to Staten Island with a double down the left-field line. Krause's second two-bagger in as many innings pushed the FerryHawks ahead 5-4.
Despite Reynoso and Chris Nunn combining to blank the Blue Crabs across 2.1 innings, Southern Maryland touched Alex Vargas (0-1) and Williams Jerez to the tune of five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. After retiring the inning's first two batters, Vargas issued back-to-back walks, prompting Edgardo Alfonzo to summon the left-hander Jerez. After walking Raul Shah to load the bases, Silva unloaded the bases with a three-run double to centerfield. Already leading 7-5, the Blue Crabs rally continued with a hit by pitch of Jared Walker, an intentional walk of David Harris, and a two-run single by Alex Crosby.
Endrys Briceno (1-0) held the FerryHawks off the board in the eighth inning to earn his first win of the season.
Staten Island (0-5) and Southern Maryland wrap up their rain-shortened two-game series on Thursday evening at Regency Furniture Stadium. RHP Matt Solter takes the mound for the FerryHawks against Blue Crabs LHP Denson Hull with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM in Waldorf, MD.
Postgame Notes: Kevin Krause's 4 RBI are his first four of the 2022 season and a FerryHawks game-high...Staten Island finished 2-for-17 with RISP...Eddie Reynoso (3.2 IP) has not allowed an earned run in four appearances...Angel Aguilar has a hit in all five FerryHawks games
