Marcus Chiu powers Ducks past Charleston in 10-9 opener

Marcus Chiu gave Long Island the steady hand it needed in a game that kept threatening to spin out of control, and his bat kept the Ducks ahead long enough to survive Charleston’s late surge in a 10-9 opener on July 7. Chiu went 3 for 5 with four RBIs, homered twice, and delivered the kind of middle-order production that shaped every major offensive swing in the game.

Long Island opened fast and did damage before Charleston could settle in. Chiu singled home a run in the first inning, then launched a two-run homer in the fourth as the Ducks stretched the lead to 8-0 by the fifth. Chris Roller, Aaron Takacs and Alsander Womack also chipped in as Long Island kept punishing Charleston’s pitching and defensive mistakes, building what looked like a comfortable cushion. Charleston starter Keyvius Sampson absorbed six runs in four innings as the Ducks kept the pressure on early.

The game changed in a hurry in the bottom of the fifth. Charleston scored six runs in the inning and took advantage of a cluster of Long Island errors to cut the lead to 8-6, turning a rout into a fight. The Dirty Birds kept clawing and trimmed the margin to 8-7 in the seventh, forcing Long Island to answer every inning as the momentum swung back and forth.

Chiu delivered that answer in the ninth, crushing his second homer of the night to push the Ducks in front 10-7. Womack later scored on a wild pitch to add another run, and that extra insurance mattered when Charleston mounted one last push with a two-run double that brought the tying run to the plate. Rafael Kelly finished it off by retiring the tying run in scoring position to earn his first save as a Duck.

Long Island got a strong start from Ryan Cardona, who threw four scoreless innings before the game moved to the bullpen, and Bryan Shaw picked up the win after allowing one run over two innings. The Ducks left Charleston with a one-run victory, but the sharper takeaway was the way Chiu’s night framed the whole opener: early control, a sudden collapse, and just enough late power to keep the road series from starting with a loss.