Wood Ducks Eliminated from First Half Race in Loss

FREDERICK, MD - Homers from Charles Leblanc and Alex Kowalczyk could not propel the Wood Ducks (34-32) to a victory as Keys (32-33) took control late in a 10-3 loss. Both hit their first homers of the month with the solo shots.

Walker Weickel's start had only one blip on the line through four innings - a two-run second inning. He retired the side in order in the third and left a man stranded in the fourth. Leblanc opened the scoring for the DEWDs in the fourth with a solo homer - his tenth of the year. 
Leblanc joins Tejeda as the only two Woodies with double digit homers this half. Leblanc is now in a tie for second for the most homers in a half by a Wood Duck (LeDarious Clark, 10).
In the top of the fifth, Kowalczyk took the first pitch of the inning deep to left-center to tie the game. It was his first homer in 17 games played and it tied the game at two.
The bottom of the frame soured for Weickel as a two-out single by Reyes coupled with a throwing error by Leblanc gave the Keys the lead back, 3-2. On the very next pitch, Collin Woody connected on a three-run homer to left-center to blow it open 6-2.
A bright spot of the night was Samir Vivas' work out of the bullpen in the sixth. He entered after two triples and the score at 7-2, he retired all five batters he faced with a pair of strikeouts as well. It was his first scoreless outing with the Woodies this season.
Franklin Rollin knocked an RBI single up the middle in the seventh with two outs to get the tying run on deck, down 7-3. It would be the last run of the night for Down East as C.D. Pelham allowed three runs (two earned) in the eighth as the game was out of reach, 10-3.
Winston-Salem clinched the first half southern division title with their win over Wilmington on the night. Potomac, also clinched the north division title with a win over Buies Creek. The DEWDs can still play for second place, as they are two games back of the Astros.
Friday features a doubleheader starting at 5:00 p.m. for the DEWDs and Keys. They will both be seven-inning games as the teams make up the rained out game in Kinston on Memorial Day. Pregame coverage on Sports/Talk 960 The Bull or the TuneIn Radio app begins at 4:45.