The Long Island Ducks defeated the Somerset Patriots 6-4 on Sunday night at TD Bank Ballpark in Game Five of the Atlantic League Championship Series. The Ducks win the best-of-five series three games to two and are the 2013 Atlantic League Champions!
Somerset opened the scoring with a Yunesky Sanchez RBI double in the first inning off Ducks starter John Brownell. Long Island answered back to take the lead in the fourth inning with four runs off Somerset starter David Harden. Ramon Castro hit a RBI single, and Ray Navarrete smacked a three-run home run to left field to do the damage.
Somerset grabbed a run back with a Yunesky Sanchez solo homer to left in the bottom of the fourth, but Long Island responded with two in the fifth on a Bryant Nelson double to right field and an Adam Bailey RBI single to center. The Patriots crept within two on Jeff Baisley's homer in the sixth and Jorge Cortes' sac fly in the ninth. However, Leo Rosales got Jonny Tucker to fly out to right to clinch the Championship.
Brownell (3-0) picked up the win, tossing eight innings, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out three. For his efforts in Games One and Five, he was named Championship Series MVP. Harden (0-1) took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits in four and one-third innings. Leo Rosales pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fourth save of the playoffs.
Nelson and Lew Ford led the Ducks with three hits apiece, and Navarrete drove in three runs.
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Duck Tales: This is the third Atlantic League Championship in franchise history and second consecutive Atlantic League title. The Ducks won their first Championship in 2004 with a three-game sweep of the Camden Riversharks and won their second in 2012 with a 3-2 series victory over the Lancaster Barnstormers. The Ducks have now won the second-most Championships in Atlantic League history behind the Somerset's five titles...Long Island has now won three consecutive Game Fives. The Ducks defeated Lancaster 5-4 in Game Five of the 2012 Atlantic League Championship Series and topped Southern Maryland 5-4 in Game Five of the 2012 Liberty Division Championship Series. Long Island is now 3-1 all-time in Game Five of a postseason series...John Brownell was named Championship Series MVP after winning both Game One and Game Five of the series. In the ALCS, the right-hander was 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and struck out nine batters in 16 innings. For the playoffs, the righty won all three games he pitched and compiled a 2.88 ERA...Lew Ford earned a hit in all five games of the Championship Series and finished the series with a .417 batting average (10-for-24). For the playoffs, the former big leaguer had at least one hit in all seven games he played and batted .412 (14-for-34) with one double, one homer, two RBI and three runs.
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