By David F. Pendrys

BRIDGEPORT, CT- The Bridgeport Bluefish saw a lead slip away from them in a 9-4 loss to the Long Island Ducks Sunday afternoon. Bridgeport’s R.J. Hively took the loss after being kept in during the top of the sixth and Long Island putting together a 4 run inning for a 5-2 lead they never relinquished. This is on a day when Bridgeport committed five errors.

The inning opened with Sean Burroughs making it to first on a infield hit. Cody Puckett grounded to shortstop, leading to a force at second but made it to first. Dan Lyons hit it to short, but made it to first and Puckett advanced as well. A wild pitch from Hively advanced both runners, then he walked Anthony Vega to load the bases. Mike Dowd stepped in and hit a fly ball out to right field, which Wilkin Ramirez dropped allowing two runs to score. This ended Hively’s day as Brian Moran was called in from the bullpen. He immediately walked Matt Wessinger to load the bases again. Fehlandt Lentini singled to left to drive in the rest of Hively’s runners. Moran eventually got out of the inning, but by then the lead was set. Prior to that Hively had only given up one run in the second inning when Cody Puckett had made it to first on a throwing error. He was later driven in by Vega’s triple to right field.

Moran gave up two more runs in the seventh with only one out, earning his removal. Carlos Ruiz came in and put out the fire but it was too late. His successor Joseph Kuzia also gave up two runs as well in a rough day for the Bridgeport pitching staff. Taylor Thompson did have an effective top of the ninth to prevent any further Ducks scoring.

Long Island’s Darin Downs took the win, after holding the Bluefish to two runs and three hits in five innings of work. Bridgeport had gotten on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Luis Rodriguez walked , Jose Cuevas fouled out, and Ramirez was hit by a pitch. Josh Vitters was then walked as well. Carlos Sosa picked up an RBI when he grounded into a fielders choice and reached 1^st, though the runner at second was out. Immediately after that Luis Nunez singled to left to score Ramirez. Downs left the game after the fifth turning it over to Frank DeJiulio Jr, and Eury De La Rosa who held the Bluefish scoreless though Kevin Vance gave up two runs to the home team in the bottom of the eighth. Ramirez doubled to deep center, and Vitters was hit by a pitch. Two Bridgeport outs followed but Luis Nunez advanced the runners. Yefry Castillo walked. Ruben Sosa Jr. blooped the ball to the center field scoring Ramirez and Vitters. Long Island summoned Patrick Crider from the pen to get the team out of the inning. James Lomangino pitched the bottom of the ninth to secure the win for Downs.

It is an interesting question over whether Hively should have stayed in with Moran ready to go from the bullpen, however on the other hand, it was a succession of strange infield hits and a fielding error in right field that contributed heavily to the runs scored and Moran was not effective today either. The Bluefish did leave 11 runners on base which couldn’t have helped either.

The Bluefish fall to 5-12 on the season. The Ducks rise to 10-6.