Wood Ducks and Keys Split Doubleheader

FREDERICK, MD - The Wood Ducks (35-33) topped their offensive output from the doubleheader on Tuesday with 22 hits tonight, but only could manage a split against the Keys (33-34) on Friday. Six different Wood Ducks had a multi-hit game in either contest in the split.

GAME ONE
Down East fell behind early, allowing six runs in the first four innings. The offense was stumped in the early going against starter Ofelky Peralta, who had the Woodies shooting blanks through five innings with only two hits.
Then things changed in the sixth when the inning opened with three consecutive singles from the top of the order. Anderson Tejeda knocked an RBI single up the middle to get the Woodies on the board, but the DEWDs still trailed 6-1.
Enter: Alex Kowalczyk. He ripped a three-run homer to left to get the Wood Ducks back into the game 6-4 and still with no one out in the inning. The Woodies would manage to get runners on second and third before the inning ended without further damage.
The Keys responded by loading the bases in the bottom of the the inning with no outs. Cole Wiper did a great feat of damage control by inducing three ground balls and two outs at home. Only one run was plated in the situation.
In the seventh, Franklin Rollin led off with a double but was still on third with two outs and the Woodies down by three. Kowalczyk hustled out an infield single on a grounder to third to keep the inning alive and score Rollin. Despite loading the bases, the DEWDs could not get the go-ahead hit in the seventh and fell 7-5.
GAME TWO
The Wood Duck offense picked up exactly where they left off in game two. They scored five runs with two outs in the first inning and rode that wave until the end to claim the win. Chuck Leblanc, Brendon Davis, and Josh Altmann all pitched in multi-hit nights and drove in runs in the first inning.
Leblanc started the train with a two-out two-strike double to score Rollin from third. He and Kowalczyk would score on a first-pitch single by Davis to center field. Altmann would add another two-strike double to score Davis, and he would come in on Matt Whatley's RBI triple to right-center.
Friday was the biggest first inning of the season for the Woodies and it was plenty to support Werner Leal's first start at the High-A level. The Venezuelan righty tossed five one-run innings with four strikeouts and only allowed three hits on the night.
Jairo Beras entered for the final two frames from the bullpen. He allowed a two-run homer in the sixth, but the DEWDs still held a two-run lead. He tossed a scoreless seventh leaving runners stranded on first and second to close the game. He struck out five of the six outs he recorded.
Down East remains above .500 in their second doubleheader split of the season. Game four of the series and the penultimate game of the half is at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night. Right-hander Emerson Martinez (4-5, 4.10) will start for the Wood Ducks opposite lefty Alex Wells (3-4, 3.51).