Southern Maryland 6, Charleston 5

Charleston, WV, May 29, 2022) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and the Charleston Dirty Birds engaged in a heavyweight battle on Sunday evening, with the Crabs delivering the final blow, winning 6-5. Both teams exchanged haymakers throughout the contest, but a two-out rally in the eighth inning pushed Southern Maryland across the finish line, and their bullpen did the rest.

Eddie Butler, Southern Maryland’s starter, took the hill at Appalachian Power Park for the first time since 2013, when he was the Asheville Tourists’ Opening Day starter. Nine years later, the MLB veteran allowed one run in the first inning of Sunday’s contest, as Diego Goris drove in his fifth RBI of the series.

Southern Maryland struck right back in the second inning, stringing together more offense than they’d produced in the entire series. Facing the league’s ERA leader, Kit Scheetz, the frame began with Jared Walker being plunked by a pitch. Alex Crosby kept it going, scorching a single to right field, moving Jared Walker to third with Crosby advancing to second on the throw. Next, Braxton Lee began a four-hit game with a dart to right-center, scoring a pair of Crabs. Joe DeLuca kept the pressure on Charleston’s southpaw, lacing an RBI double to left field, giving Southern Maryland an early 3-1 lead.

As Eddie Butler cruised through the middle innings, Southern Maryland added an insurance run in the fourth. With two outs and a runner on third, Michael Baca pushed a liner into left field, giving the Crabs a 4-1 lead.

Charleston’s offense came to life in the sixth inning, as six of the first seven batters to the plate collected base knocks, bouncing Butler from the game, and scoring a quartet of Birds runs. Southern Maryland, having lost five of their last six games including three straight, had the wind taken out of their sails, suddenly trailing heading into the final third of the contest.

The Blue Crabs were silent in the seventh, and the eighth began the same way. With two outs and no runners on base, Braxton Lee, who began the road trip hitless in his first 15 at-bats, picked up his fourth hit of the game to extend the inning. Next, DeLuca drew a walk, summoning Ian Yetsko as a pinch runner. With runners on first and second, Ryan Haug came to the dish and continued on what has been an astounding 2022 campaign. The catcher blasted a liner to right-center field, scoring two runs and giving the Crabs a 6-5 lead.

Stan Cliburn turned to his top options out of the bullpen for the eighth and ninth innings. Endrys Briceno (W, 3-0) worked around a jam for a scoreless eighth, before Mat Latos (SV, 11) set down Charleston in order, securing a victory. Sunday’s comeback keeps Southern Maryland’s opportunity for a series split alive, with McKenzie Mills taking the mound for Monday’s series finale.

Gastonia 3, Long Island 2 (10 innings)

(Central Islip, N.Y., May 29, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Gastonia Honey Hunters 3-2 in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon in the third game of a four-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

The Ducks opened the scoring in the first inning on Alejandro De Aza's RBI single to right field off Honey Hunters starter Marcus Walden. The Honey Hunters went in front 2-1 in the fourth on Jake Skole’s RBI double to right and Herlis Rodriguez’s RBI single to right off Ducks starter Joe Iorio. 

It stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh when Johnni Turbo’s sacrifice fly to center scored Dustin Woodcock, tying the game at two. Neither side dented home plate then until the top of the 10th when Joseph Rosa’s RBI single to left gave Gastonia a 3-2 lead. 

Neither starter factored into the decision. Iorio tossed six innings of two-run ball, allowing seven hits and one walk while striking out three. Walden lasted seven innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts as well. Sam Bordner (6-2) picked up the win with a scoreless ninth inning, working around a hit. Tyler Webb (0-2) took the loss, conceding the winning run on two hits and three walks over two innings with a strikeout. Jesus Balaguer earned his fifth save with a scoreless 10th inning, working around a walk. 

Turbo, De Aza and Deven Marrero each had two hits to lead the Flock. Turbo added an RBI and a run, while both De Aza and Marrero drew a walk as well. 

The Ducks and Honey Hunters wrap up their four-game series on Monday afternoon. Game time is slated for 1:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 12:35 (12:20 for full season ticket holders). Spend Memorial Day with the Ducks and take part in the always-popular “Bark in the Park”. Fans are invited to bring their dog with them to the ballpark to enjoy the holiday matinee, and no additional ticket purchase for a dog is required to take part in “Bark in the Park”. Left-hander Stephen Tarpley (0-1, 12.79) gets the ball for the Ducks against Honey Hunters southpaw Jerry Keel (2-1, 4.97).

High Point 6, Staten Island 4
Rockers 5, Staten Island 1

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The High Point Rockers ran their winning streak to a franchise-record 10 straight games on Sunday with a doubleheader sweep of Staten Island, winning the opening game 6-4 and taking the nightcap 5-1 at SIUH Community Park.

High Point had posted an eight-game winning streak in 2021.  The Rockers are now 25-10 on the season and have opened a two-game lead over Gastonia for first place in the Atlantic League South Division.

In Sunday’s opening game, Staten Island righty Jordan Simpson held the Rockers in check, retiring each of the first 12 batters he faced. Quincy Latimore poked a single to left to lead-off the fifth inning, igniting a three-run rally. Michael Martinez followed Latimore’s single with a single of his own before Jay Gonzalez singled to score Latimore with the game’s first run.  After Chris Proctor drew a walk to load the bases, Michael Russell’s single to left scored both Gonzalez and Martinez to put the Rockers ahead 3-0.

Staten Island mounted its own rally in the sixth inning, scoring four times and chasing starter Andrew Church from the game. Joseph Monge hit a two-run double, Bryan Gonzalez knocked an RBI single and Angel Aguilar hit a sac fly to put the FerryHawks ahead 4-3.

But just like in every previous High Point-Staten Island game, the Rockers won the game in their last at-bat, scoring three times in the seventh and final inning. Johnny Field led off with a home run off reliever Jose Velez and after a walk to Gonzales and a Proctor single, Giovanny Alfonzo singled to score one and Russell came through with his second RBI single of the game.

Ryan Dull (2-0) came on in the sixth in relief of Church and earned the win while Chasen Bradford pitched a perfect seventh inning to record his fifth save.

In the nightcap, the Rockers sent rookie righthander Michael Gutierrez (1-0) to the mound in his professional debut. The former Felician University pitcher went five innings and held the ‘Hawks to four hits and one run while walking two and striking out two. Kyle Mott pitched the final two innings and did not allow a hit.

Logan Morrison homered with one out in the second to give the Rockers a 1-0 lead. Staten Island tied the game in the bottom of the frame when Kacy Clemens doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Mariel Bautista.

The Rockers took the lead for good in the fourth on consecutive singles by Jerry Downs and Latimore and RBI singles from Morrison and Martinez. High Point added another pair of runs in the fifth when Latimore knocked in both Russell and Ben Aklinski who had each singled.

The Rockers will meet the FerryHawks for the final time this season with a single game on Monday at 1 o’clock at SIUH Community Park.

York 14, Lancaster 8

After three straight days of pitchers duels, the bats started to blast away at Clipper Magazine Stadum on Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately for the host Lancaster Barnstormers, their side got going a little too late.

York broke out to a 10-0 lead and held off a late Lancaster surge that included four home runs as the Revolution took a 14-8 decision in the third game of a four-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Carlos Franco provided the early thrust to the Revolution with a pair of home runs off Nile Ball (1-3).  Franco left the park down the right field line in the second, then launched a three-run blast to the “backyard” in the third for a 4-0 lead to back Duke von Schamann (1-2)’s five no-hit inning effort.

York struck again in the sixth.  With runners at first and third, Lenin Rodriguez broke for second, drawing a throw from Anthony Peroni.  Melvin Mercedes took the throw and fired back home, sailing the throw wide in an effort to get Connor Lien.  Lenin Rodriguez took third on the error and scored on a triple to right center by Troy Stokes, Jr.

The Revs loaded the bases off Donald Goodson, Jr. in the top of the seventh.  Lien and Jack Kenley unloaded consecutive doubles for the 10-0 lead.

Kenley added a two-run single in the eighth, and Stokes blasted a homer to left in the ninth.

After the Barnstormers were held hitless for 6 1/3 innings, Anthony Peroni broke the ice with a single to left, BJ Boyd put Lancaster on the board with a three-run blast to right center.  Kelly Dugan launched a monster to right to open the eighth.  Before Josh Martin could finish off the Barnstormers in the ninth, Melvin Mercedes and Andretty Cordero also unloaded.

Lancaster’s other run crossed on an RBI single by Peroni to the base of the wall in the eighth inning.

The Barnstormers and Revs will wrap up the four-game series on Monday at 5:00.  Left-handers Augie Sylk (1-3) and Austin Nicely (0-5) will take the hill. Fireworks will follow.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube channel, starting at 4:55.

NOTES:  Dugan set a record for most homers against the Revolution in a single season with his ninth…Anderson Feliz singled in the ninth to advance a hitting streak to eight…Boyd has hit safely in nine of 10…Lancaster leads the War of the Roses, 7-5.