Game 3 vs. So MD Blue Crabs

After dropping the first 2 games of the 3 game series, the Skeeters hopes were high as they began the game in Waldorf, MD. Unfortunately, they continued to struggle in the Regency Furniture Stadium and went 17 up...15 down with only 2 hits and 4 strike outs through the first 5 innings. The Blue Crabs fared much better going 26 up...15 down with 5 runs through the first 5 innings...score was 0-5 after 5 innings.

The Skeeters have tried a few times to rally from behind in past games but finally made it happen tonight! The top half of the 6th inning saw the Skeeters send 11 batters to the plate. After a ground out by Benitez, Bubba Bell walked, Alex Cintron singled and Jason "BIG MAN" Botts busted a 395 foot home run to make the score 3-5...that HR was his first of the season and extended his consecutive game hit streak to 7 games!! After 3 more walks to Josh Pressley, Drew Locke, and Cole Morton, Jimmy Van Ostrand hit a sacrifice fly to CF for the 2nd out but also scored Pressley making the score 4-5. With 2 runners on base, an intentional walk was issued to Ben Harrison, loading the bases. Deybis Benitez came to the plate officially making it the first time the Skeeters have batted around this season. Benitez then singled to CF scoring Drew Locke...which tied the game at 5-5. With the bases loaded, Bubba Bell popped out to the catcher in foul territory for the 3rd out ending the inning...and rally. The Blue Crabs were able to get one run back off 2 singles and a walk to take the lead back...score was 5-6 after 6 innings.

After a magnificent 6th inning rally by the Skeeters, the 7th inning saw them go 3 up and 3 down. The Skeeters sent Sean Morgan back in to face the Blue Crabs...much to the Crabs delight! Thanks to a triple, 2 doubles, and an intentional walk, the Blue Crabs sent 7 batters to the plate...matching their 5th inning output by scoring 3 more runs making the score 5-9 after 7 innings.

In the 8th inning, Jon Reep would have been proud of his fellow Hickory, NC resident Chris Mobley as he faced 3 Skeeters and sat them all down in order. With that 3 up and 3 down, the Skeeters have had 7 batters in a row come to the plate with nothing to show for it in the hits column. In the bottom half of the 8th inning, Trey Rackel came to the mound in hopes of shutting down the mighty Blue Crab bats...and that he did! It took him 11 pitches but he faced 3 and sat them down in order. The score remained 5-9 after 8 innings.

With just 3 outs to get something done, the struggles continued as the Skeeters went 3 up and 3 down ending the inning...and game. With the loss, the Sugar Land Skeeters have been swept in the series, going 0-3 in their first 3 road games of the season...thankfully the season still has 133 games.

Thanks to the Somerset Patriots defeating the Lancaster Barnstormers, the Skeeters remain tied with the Barnstormers and Patriots for the Freedom Division lead with a 3-4 record. The next series is a 4 game series against the Lancaster Barnstormers at the Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA.

The first game of the series starts at 6:00 PM local time.