Ducks reach Atlantic League finals
Freddie Thon's tiebreaking double in the ninth inning gave the visiting Ducks a 9-8 victory over Southern Maryland on Sunday as they captured the Liberty Division Championship Series, three games to one.
The Ducks, who had trailed 7-3, advanced to their first Atlantic League Championship Series since 2004 and will host Lancaster or York in Game 1 at Bethpage Ballpark at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday.
"It's just a great feeling," Ducks manager Kevin Baez said. "I won it as a player [with the Ducks in 2004], and then if I were to win it as a manager, it would be so special. This team has been so special from day one."
The Ducks' J.R. House (2-for-5) tied it at 7 with a solo home run off Eduardo Morlan in the seventh. The Blue Crabs regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on Travis Garcia's solo home run.
Ray Navarrete's solo home run tied it at 8 in the eighth. Bubbie Buzachero, who recorded the final two outs of the seventh, pitched a scoreless eighth. Jon Hunton earned his second save of the series with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Kennard Jones (2-for-4) tripled in the first inning and scored on an error to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead. The Blue Crabs responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning. With the Ducks trailing by four runs and none out in the top of the sixth, Dan Lyons and Jones drew bases-loaded walks to make it 7-5. Navarrete (2-for-5) grounded into a double play as Thon scored to make it a one-run game.
