Ducks pound out 16 hits, lose to Sugar Land, 11-7
The bats sprang to life a little too late for the Long Island Ducks. Sixteen hits and seven runs were not enough to overcome the visitors from Texas.
The Ducks scored four runs in the eighth, but the comeback bid fell short as the Sugar Land Skeeters took the rubber game of three-game series, 11-7, in front of 5,885 at Bethpage Ballpark Sunday night. The first-half Liberty Division champion Ducks are 4-6 to begin the season's second half.
"Throughout the course of the season, you're going to go through stretches that are not so good," manager Kevin Baez said. "Hopefully, we can start playing better. We have to start playing better, no doubt about it. We have to go out there and get it done."
Starter and Stony Brook University alum Chris Flinn made his season debut, allowing seven runs and seven hits in 12/3 innings. The Skeeters (34-45, 5-4) scored seven in the second, sending 12 batters to the plate. Josh Pressley and Aaron Bates had two hits apiece in the inning.
Flinn, who appeared in four games with the Ducks last season, was taken out after Pressley's RBI single made it 6-0. Bates followed with a run-scoring single off Jared Lansford as the book on Flinn came to a close.
It was a disappointing Ducks return for Flinn, who began the season pitching for the semipro Long Island Storm. "Chris has got really good stuff," catcher Mitch Canham said. "He got a little up in the zone on a couple of hitters, and they found holes. He's got some good stuff, though, especially for a guy who hasn't pitched in a while."
Bryant Nelson, Shawn Wiliams, Dan Lyons and Reid Gorecki had an RBI apiece in the eighth inning as the Ducks cut the deficit to 11-7. Timo Perez (2-for-5) grounded out to shortstop with runners on first and second to end the threat.
Notes & quotes: Ray Navarrete hit his 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fourth inning, making this the sixth consecutive season he has reached double-digits . . . Perez, the former Met, is batting 9-for-45 (.200) through his first 11 games.
