CENTRAL ISLIP, NY - Defense and pitching are the keys for a baseball team at any level to have a long post-season run.

That old adage proved true for the Ducks in their series against the Bridgeport Bluefish. First, Long Island sabotaged their own cause by committing four errors in losing Game 1, then saw usually reliable big-game pitcher Bill Pulsipher give up a big three-run home run in the second inning and never recovered as the Ducks lost 10-4, getting swept out of the Atlantic League North Division playoff series. Bridgeport will now face the Lancaster Barnstormers in the final round.

For the Ducks, the loss disappointedly ends a season that once had them talking about winning the franchise’s first championship since 2004. Manager Don McCormack saw his team clinch a post-season birth by winning the first-half division title in July. But after waiting throughout the summer for the post-season chance, all three facets of the game failed at some point when it mattered most.

"We got a long winter, we’ll just retool again," McCormack said. "We never had a lick of momentum, they had it all. We could never take any part of it."

Pulsipher, a former top Mets prospect, allowed six runs – all earned— on 10 hits in five innings. Though the lefty was not effective, the offense came up empty for the second straight night. In the first game, T.J. Mathews pitched a complete game shutout, allowing six hits. Last night, Kevin Hodges also pitched a gem, getting tagged for only two runs and four hits in seven innings.

Entering the series, the Ducks had the best team offense in the eight-team league. But their four runs 18 innings could not give them a chance to comeback Tuesday in Bridgeport, or in the do-or-die home contest that could have forced the deciding Game 3.

They were out-scored 16-4 and out-hit 24-12. They also made five errors, compared to none for the Bluefish.

"They score that many runs and pitch that way against us, maybe you have to give hats off to their pitching," McCormack said.

Bridgeport started things early against Pulsipher, who had previously been 2-0 in the Atlantic League playoffs while he was the staff ace during 2004. Bryant Nelson hit a double during the first at-bat of the game, and scored on a RBI single to left by P.J. Rose.

"It’s definitely a let-down, and not what I had planned," Pulsipher said. "I just didn’t have the life on the [ball] that I wanted to today."

The southpaw again allowed the leadoff man to reach, as Damian Rolls started the second with a single. A groundout and walk brought up ninth-place hitter Norm Hutchins, a left-hander with eight homes runs and a .230 average to his credit in the regular season. Pulsipher got ahead 0-2 before the centerfielder drew the count even, and Hutchins took the fastball over the left-centerfield fence for a three run bomb that made it 4-0 and quieted the crowd of 5,509 at Citibank Park.

"That’s when they completely had the momentum," McCormack said. "We just got beat, there’s nothing you can say. Last night, we never scored any runs. Tonight, we just flat got beat."

Rose victimized his former team, going 4-5 with a RBI and two runs scored. He added an insurance run in the fifth, coming around when Rolls hit a single. Nelson also went 4-5, scoring a run and adding two RBI as the catalyst from the leadoff spot.

Rose, who played with the Ducks last year, scored again as part of a four-run seventh that ended all hopes of a possible comeback. He teamed with Will Otanez for two straight singles to start the inning, and the son of the all-time MLB hit leader scored on Rolls’ hard hit to center. Jamie Pogue added a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded, and Nelson lined a two-run double to right as the Bluefish batted around, opening a nine-run lead.

Solo home runs by Henry Rodriguez and Brad King in the fifth and eighth innings respectively provided the only brief moments of excitement for the home fans. Jayson Bass also scored on a RBI fielder’s choice by Erick Almonte, but none of the runs came at a time when the outcome was in doubt.

Though a three-game series is very short, McCormack said he still favors it over a best-of-five. In his office after the game, he said there were no regrets about any of the decisions he made and felt comfortable sending the same people out if the opportunity presented itself again.

"This is the way it should be set-up," McCormack said. "I wouldn’t do anything any different."