Wood Ducks Prevail in Extras; Sweep Blue Rocks to Win Fifth Straight

WILMINGTON, DE - The 12th shutout of the season required three extra frames as the Wood Ducks (35-31, 59-76) had just enough in a 1-0 victory over the Blue Rocks (28-37, 67-68) in 12 innings. Steven Bruce and Scott Williams turned in career-highs in innings pitched with 8.1 and 3.1 respectively.

Josh Morgan supplied the lone RBI in the 12th inning and two outs. He smashed a single up the left field line that scored Chuck Moorman from second for the game's lone run.
It was the bottom half of the order with the best showing at the plate on Thursday. The five-through-nine spots each had a hit, including two-hit nights from Carlos Garay, Ti'Quan Forbes, LeDarious Clark, and Moorman.
Steven Bruce started out red-hot by striking out five batters the first time through the order. From innings four to six, he fired 16 consecutive strikes - including back-to-back seven-pitch innings. The right-handed Texan also set a new career-high with seven strikeouts.
Furthermore, he did not walk a batter to extend his streak of walk-free innings to 31 over his last six appearances. He exited in the ninth with two men on and the game on the line.
Adam Choplick worked back-to-back games for the first time since July and induced a popout in his lefty-on-lefty matchup. He was then pulled for Scott Williams to face righty Brandon Downes.
With a 3-2 count, Downes launched a ball to deep left field - well over Josh Altmann's head since he was playing shallow. He managed to race back and make a "Willie Mays-esque" catch on the warning track to force extra innings.
Williams continued his dominance over the next three innings without allowing a baserunner. After the Woodies took the lead in the top of the 12th, the Berwyn, PA native retired the side in order for his third win of the season. He also earned the victory in front of more than 30 friends and family in attendance.
Coupled with the Buies Creek loss earlier in the afternoon, Down East finds itself just 1.5 games back before the final four games of the year with the Astros at Jim Perry Stadium starting on Friday night at 7:00 p.m.