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By Peyton Butt
In a must win game, the Blowfish rallied together and pulled out a victory. The Sharks took Game 1 last night in Wilmington but the Blowfish thrive most under pressure with backs to the wall.
Andrew Duval made his playoff debut on the mound for Lexington County to start the game off on a positive foot. Duval got the win for the night in 5.2 innings pitching seven hits and three runs.
Phillip Ard has been unstoppable all season at the plate and proved yet again unbeatable tonight. Ard hit his fourth home run of the playoffs to score the first point of the game and put the Blowfish ahead, a lead the Sharks were never able to catch up to.
“I felt good coming in, our backs were against the wall like they were in the divisional round, so helping the team out and getting started early definitely felt good,” Ard said. “Tomorrow is the last game of the year, we have a chance to win a championship for the first time since 2012, and it’s going to be a good game.”
CJ Czerwinski finalized the Blowfish’s fate by closing the game on the mound with no runs scored in his lone inning pitched. Czerwinski and the team are feeling excited and ready ahead of tomorrows massive match up.
“That win was huge for us and we are very excited for tomorrow. We are very comfortable at home and we plan to get the job done tomorrow and bring home the Petitt cup. We will play as a team and have each other’s back the whole time,” Czerwinski said. “It felt amazing to get back on the mound after taking 2 weeks off and help my team win in any way possible. Shout out to my defense who had my back the last two innings (2 double plays) because it would’ve been a way different game without them.”
Zander Buchan had a notable performance on the night going 2-3 with two hits and two runs. The mix of a powerful defense and an explosive offense have been the key to the Blowfish’s success this late in the season and in the playoffs.
Saturday night, a champion will be crowned. Join us at the Lex to watch the 2023 Blowfish one last time competing for the cup. Tickets are still available at GoBlowfish.com
CLICK HERE TO READ LEXINGTON CHRONICLE STORY ON GAME 2