Ducks Split Sharks

By Brian Bohl on May 22, 2008

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — All the ingredients for a doubleheader sweep were in place. Ace Randy Leek retired the first seven batters he faced with relative ease and was staked to a two-run lead in the nightcap.

But Leek imploded after getting the first out in the third. The southpaw allowed six runs on six hits in an eight-batter sequence as the Camden Riversharks took Game 2, 6-3, to split last night’s twin bill at Citibank Park.

In a battle of aces, Leek opposed former Met pitcher Brian Lawrence following a 3-2 Ducks victory in the opener. Carl Everett’s two-run single broke open the scoring against Lawrence in the first

That edge appeared to be enough for Leek, who surrendered just six earned runs in his first five starts before nearly matching that total in a one-inning stretch. Then the wheels came off the lefty.

Ron Davenport laced a triple before Gabe Suarez’s RBI single drove him home. Chris Walker followed by blasting a home run to left. All three hits came on the first pitch, leading to three runs. But the Riversharks put two more men on base before Jason Phillips popped out.

L.J. Biernbaum’s run-scoring single plated Gary Cates and Richard Lewis lined a two-run double as Camden batted around. Leek (1-1) finally got the last out but would not come out for the fourth inning. The Levittown native lost his first regular season decision at home in 13 career starts.

“Randy hasn’t pitched good the past couple of games,” manager Dave LaPoint said. “The warm-ups weren’t that good, either. Something’s lacking that we have to work on.

“It’s probably more mental than it is mechanical. He has a different look about him when he’s pitching good. There’s something just a little bit off somewhere that have to fine tune.”

Lawrence enjoyed MLB success as a member of the Padres and pitched for the Mets last season. Camden’s new ace improved to 2-1 following six strong innings, striking out three and walking just one.

“I could tell right away he was sure of himself and had a good mound presence,” Estee Harris said.

In the first of the two seven-inning contests, the Ducks nearly dropped a close one. Once again, a starter failed to provide length. Jon Searles, the staff’s No. 2 starter, lasted just 3 1/3 innings before needing Jon Asahina to bail him out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth.

Asahina came through, forcing Cates to hit into an inning-ending double play. The righty logged two more scoreless innings to keep the deficit at 2-1into the sixth. Harris capitalized on the bullpen’s effort, extending his hot streak from the leadoff spot by singling and scoring in the fifth.

After scratching out just one run on five hits in five innings against former Texas Ranger Ryan Drese, Julio Guerrero came in for the six-out save. Guerrero retired the first two batters before Dennis Donovan reached on a single.

Harris, who scored five runs and three RBIs the previous two games, lifted a fastball to right that continued to carry. Bierbaum continued to back-peddle before unsuccessfully jumping to catch the ball at the wall. Instead, the ball cleared the yellow line for the go-ahead two-run shot, extending the Ducks’ three-game winning streak that was subsequently broken.

“Early in the count, I was looking for a pitch to drive but I wasn’t going to go out of my zone to do it,” Harris said. “I just put a good swing on it. I knew I hit it well. I just didn’t know if I had gotten under it too much.”

Donovan’s single and run atoned for his earlier futility. The Center Moriches product struck out looking with the bases loaded to end the fourth.

Harris scored three runs and drove in another during Monday’s series-opening victory over Camden. Tuesday’s rain out necessitated the doubleheader, and Harris played both ends as the Ducks remain five games behind in the Atlantic League’s Liberty Division.

“I’ve just been seeing the ball good,” Harris said. “I’m getting myself in good hitter’s counts and hitting the ball hard. I’m getting my pitches and putting them in play.”

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