The Sugar Land Skeets have entered the 2019 Atlantic League Championship, defeating York Revolution last weekend 3 games to 1. The Long Island Ducks had a chance to rest up and gear up to face a very tough and competitive Skeeter team.
The Championship series starts Tuesday October 1, 2019 at Bethpage Ballpark, in Central Islip. The two teams will face each other a second time in as many years and a third time since 2016. The level of play between both teams has been very competitive and the rivalry between the two teams has developed since 2016, with each team almost creating a playoff sort of atmosphere even in the regular season. This will be the fourth time the Skeeters are in the playoffs, since 2014. The team itself is has been around only since 2012 and has been competitive sinc then.
The Ducks are seeking to bring back a trophy to Long Island. The last time was in 2012 and 2013, taking Quack to Quack Championships. This year will mark the fourth consecutive year that the Ducks have made it to the Championship, with a thirst for winning it again.
The pitching this year for the Ducks has been a huge factor.
Vin Mazzaro led the team with 11 wins (tied for fourth over all in league leaders), 11-4 record, 3.61 era in 92.1 innings, Joe Iorio was the team mvp this year. The right-hander has excelled as both a starting pitcher and a reliever in this season. He began the season in the bullpen, posting a 1-0 record and a 0.53 ERA in 10 games, yielding just one run over 17 innings of work. He then moved into the starting rotation and compiled a 4-3 record with a 3.20 ERA in 19 starts for the Flock.
Outfielder Rey Fuentes , infielder L.J. Mazzilli, outfielder/dh Lew Ford, infielder Steve Lombardozzi were key in the Ducks offense. The team overall had a strong defense and were able to perform very well, supporting the pitching and offense.
Long Island Ducks baseball
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Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
http://www.atlanticleague.com/
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