Southern Maryland Blue Crabs pulled off two dramatic walk-off victories against the Lancaster Barnstormers, evening their record to .500. Both games showcased thrilling comebacks and pivotal moments, leading to a sweep in the first two games of the series.
Game One: A Dramatic Finish
In the first game, Southern Maryland's Shawn Semple faced off against Lancaster's Jack Lobosky. The Blue Crabs took an early lead with a sacrifice fly from Juan Kelly, bringing the score to 1-0. Semple maintained control through four innings, allowing the Blue Crabs to extend their lead to 3-0. Kelly was instrumental, driving in Anthony Brocato with a double and later scoring on a wild pitch.
Lancaster began to rally in the fifth inning, with Joe Carpenter hitting a solo home run and Trace Loehr delivering a two-out RBI single, narrowing the score to 3-2. The Blue Crabs responded with a sacrifice fly from Josh Broughton, expanding their lead to 4-2.
Endrys Briceno, attempting to secure a save, faltered in the seventh inning. Chris Proctor's two-run home run tied the game at 4-4. The Barnstormers took a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning when Christian Santana singled to bring home the ghost runner.
Southern Maryland's comeback began with Brocato starting on second base. Following a walk to Kelly and a bunt from Broughton, Aaron Hill was intentionally walked, loading the bases. A wild pitch allowed Brocato to score, tying the game. With the bases still loaded, Alan Alonso smashed a game-winning grand slam, giving the Blue Crabs a 9-5 victory.
Game Two: A Stunning Comeback
The second game saw Southern Maryland fall behind early, 3-1, with their first run coming from Gabe Wurtz's bloop single. Lancaster expanded their lead to 8-1 in the fourth inning, capitalizing on starter Neil Lang's struggles.
The Blue Crabs began their comeback in the fourth inning with Alonso hitting his second home run of the day, a two-run shot cutting the deficit to 8-3. Broughton continued the rally in the fifth inning with an RBI single, making it an 8-4 game.
Trevor McGee kept the game within reach with a scoreless sixth inning. The Blue Crabs' offense erupted in the seventh inning. Matt Hibbert led off with a single, and Brocato followed with a home run, his seventh of the year, narrowing the gap to 8-6. Kelly walked, and Broughton tied the game with a two-run blast.
With the game tied at 8-8, Aaron Hill walked, and Wurtz doubled to left-center. Hill scored, completing the comeback and giving Southern Maryland a 9-8 victory.
The Blue Crabs will aim to sweep the series with an early morning game.
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