Sugar Land and Southern Maryland are meeting on the final weekend of the first half, and in game one of the three game set the Skeeters scored four unanswered runs late to win 4-3 Friday evening, July 3.
Southern Maryland got on the board first in the bottom of the third with an Anthony Vega RBI double to score Casey Stevenson to make it 1-0. In the bottom of the fifth, Jamar Walton stepped to the plate with one out and drove a homerun over the wall in right field to make it 2-0.
Fast forward to the top of the ninth inning. The Skeeters going into that inning had left seven runners on base, but combined with a couple of defensive miscues, and timely hitting, the Skeeters were able to cash in. With one out, Travis Scott doubled to left field on a ball that was misplayed by Jovan Rosa. Joe Benson then reached on an error by the third baseman Renny Osuna. Scott scored on a wild pitch, and the next hitter Kevin Russo singled back up the middle to tie the game at two.
After Southern Maryland left three runners on in the bottom of the ninth, Patrick Palmeiro led things off with a double in the top of the tenth. Two batters later Ryan Adams came to the plate and homered over the wall in left to give the Skeeters the 4-2 lead.
Southern Maryland made things interesting in the bottom of the tenth, as Jovan Rosa drove in Jake Opitz with a single to make it a one run ballgame. Derrick Loop was called out of the bullpen, and got Casey Stevenson to fly out to center, and Jamar Walton to strike out to end the ballgame.
Game two of the series will take place Saturday, July 4 at 6:35 P.M.