John Brownell pitches another gem in Ducks' home opener
Long Island Ducks starting pitcher John Brownell delivers a pitch on opening night against the Sugar Land Skeeters on Friday, May 1, 2015 at Bethpage Ballpark. Credit: George A. Faella
The Ducks are full of new faces this season, but it was a familiar one -- John Brownell -- who dominated in the team's 16th home opener Friday night at Bethpage Ballpark in Central Islip.
The righthander allowed four hits in eight innings in the Ducks' 5-0 victory over the Sugar Land Skeeters in front of 5,905 chilly yet enthusiastic fans.
Brownell, who walked two and struck out five, has been brilliant in both of his starts this season, allowing six hits and three walks in 15 innings and striking out nine.
Friday night was the first time in his Ducks career that Brownell has made back-to-back starts without allowing a run, Ducks media relations and broadcasting director Michael Polak said.
"We went fastball, changeup early on," Brownell said. "I had good off-speed [stuff] to back up the fastball and kept going with the fastball."
Shoreham-Wading River product Bryan Sabatella and Jose Morales each went 3-for-4 for the Ducks (5-3). Sabatella also scored two runs.
Lew Ford, the defending Atlantic League Player of the Year, picked up where he left off last season. He singled to leftfield with one out in the first inning to drive in Sabatella, who had led off with a double and stolen third.
Ford, who hit .347 last year with 15 home runs and 95 RBIs, was presented his award by former Duck Ray Navarrete in a pregame ceremony.
Navarrete won the award in 2009 and is the only other Duck to receive the honor.
Dan Lyons' two-run double off the leftfield wall in the second inning drove in Morales and Evan Crawford and gave the Ducks a 3-0 lead.
One batter later, Lyons scored when Sugar Land centerfielder Denny Almonte bobbled Sabatella's ground ball through the middle, increasing the lead to 4-0.
Brownell got out of trouble in the sixth, striking out Travis Scott looking with Dustin Martin at third.
Martin reached with one out when his sky-high pop fly was lost in the lights and fell between Sabatella and Ford. But Brownell made quick work of the next two batters.
Sabatella scored on Robbie Weinhardt's wild pitch with one out in the seventh to increase the Ducks' lead to 5-0.
Manhasset-born Carmine Giardina pitched a scoreless ninth to wrap up the win.
