Bluefish batter Ducks in series opener
Bridgeport Bats Around In The Second Inning With Four Runs And Five Hits
(Bridgeport) – The Bridgeport Bluefish (23-21, 49-65) defeated the Long Island Ducks (24-20, 70-44) 7-3 in the opener of a three-game series at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Monday evening. The Bluefish have now won eight of eleven head-to-head meetings against their cross-sound rival at home, including four consecutive victories.
Bridgeport Starting Pitcher Brandon Bixler picked up a no-decision, tossing four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while walking two batters. Long Island Starting Pitcher Bobby Blevins (2-4) was tagged with the loss despite a quality start, going seven innings, surrendering seven runs (two earned runs) on nine hits, striking out six while not walking a batter and throwing a wild pitch. Jimmy Patterson (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen, pitching two and one-third innings without allowing a run, giving up three hits, walking one and striking out two. Steven Ames retired both batters he faced in the top half of the ninth inning for his second save of the season, both coming in the last two games.
The game was scoreless until the home half of the second inning when the Bluefish sent nine men to the plate against Blevins, picking up four runs on five hits, and in the blink of an eye the ‘Fish had a 4-0 lead. Andres Rodriguez reached on a two base error by left fielder Anthony Vega to open up the frame. Jeudy Valdez laced a single to center field to put runners at the corners, and Luis Rodriguez brought both Andres Rodriguez and Valdez home with a two-run double. Matt Wessinger sacrificed Luis Rodriguez over to third base, and he would then cross the plate on a run-scoring double by Ethan Chapman, his fifth rib eye steak in the last two ballgames. Josh Prince would drive in Chapman with a two-out RBI single to complete the rally, extending his hitting streak to eight consecutive games.
Bridgeport was looking for some insurance in the late innings, and that was exactly what they got in the bottom half of the seventh, scoring three more runs to take what seemed like a comfortable 7-0 lead at the time. Wessinger led off with a single. Chapman then placed a beautiful sacrifice bunt down the first base line which was bobbled by Steve McQuail who then threw the ball wide of Cody Puckett and into right field, and the error put runners at second and third with nobody out. Prince drove home Wessinger with his second run-scoring single on the night. All-Star Welington Dotel followed with an infield single, and Blevins threw the ball away for the second miscue of the inning committed by the Ducks, allowing Chapman to score. All-Star John Alonso followed with a sacrifice fly, plating Prince, and the ‘Fish had a seven-run cushion. Long Island would threaten with two runs in the top of the ninth to cut the deficit to 7-3, but with the tying-run in the on-deck circle in the person of former Bluefish Sean Burroughs, Ames struck out All-Star Dan Lyons on a changeup, and Bridgeport climbed to within one game of the Ducks for first place in the Second Half Liberty Division Standings. Prince and Dotel led the way for the Bluefish with two hits each.
Bridgeport continues their series with the Long Island Ducks at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Tuesday, August 25th as the 2015 Ferry Cup Series resumes. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
