Gastonia 5, High Point 4

HIGH POINT, N.C. – In a battle between the top two teams in the Atlantic League’s South Division, Gastonia took a small bite out of High Point’s lead on first place as the Honey Hunters topped the Rockers 5-4 on Friday night in front of a crowd of 2,140 at Truist Point.

High Point (28-10) will enter Saturday’s game with a three-game lead over second place Gastonia (25-13).

Gastonia took an early 2-0 lead after scoring twice in the top of the first. Jack Reinheimer led off the game with an infield single, was sacrificed to second and took third on another infield single by Joseph Rosa. With two outs, Rayder Ascanio tripled to right field to score both runners and put Gastonia ahead 2-0.

High Point scored three times in the third, getting to Gastonia starter Marcus Walden after two hitless innings. Chris Proctor singled to start the frame and moved to second when Giovanny Alfonzo’s line drive deflected off the glove of shortstop Reinheimer. Ben Aklinski doubled to score Proctor and Jerry Downs hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Michael Russell who had reached on a fielder’s choice. Quincy Latimore’s double brought home Aklinski and gave High Point a 3-2 lead.

Gastonia tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth when Reece Hampton singled and stole second and would score on an infield error. The ‘Hunters went up 5-4 in the fifth on a solo homer from Herlis Rodriguez, his second of the year.

The Rockers tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh. Alfonzo reached on a fielder’s choice and a walk to Russell put runners at first and second. Aklinski then sent a 3-1 pitch through the hole at short and Alfonzo beat the throw to the plate for the tying run.  Gastonia took a 5-4 lead I the eighth when Joseph Rosa walked, stole second, went to third on an error and scored on a single by Luis Castro.

The Rockers had an opportunity in the bottom of the ninth when Alfonzo led off with a single and Russell was walked to put runners on first and second. But Gastonia closer Jesus Balaguer got Ben Aklinski to line out to left before pinch-hitter Yuta Okazaki hit into a ground out and Latimore struck out for the final out.

“We had every hitter up in the ninth inning that we wanted,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “It’s just one loss. We get to do this again tomorrow.”

High Point and Gastonia will play the second game of this three-game series on Saturday at 6:35 at Truist Point.

NOTES: Friday’s game marked the first of 34 games between these two clubs in 2022 and the first of 17 at Truist Point . . . The Rockers have won 13 of their last 16 games dating back to May 17.

Long Island 9, Staten Island 5

(Central Islip, N.Y., June 3, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 9-5 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Mariel Bautista gave Staten Island a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a leadoff solo home run to left field off Ducks starter Joe Iorio. Dustin Woodcock answered in the third with a two-run homer to right field off FerryHawks starter Matt Solter to put the Ducks in front 2-1. Deven Marrero added an RBI single to center in the fourth to give Long Island a two-run cushion.

It stayed that way until the sixth when Alejandro De Aza launched a two-out grand slam to right-center field, widening the Ducks lead to 7-1. Bautista hit another homer in the seventh to close the gap to 7-2, but Sam Travis laced a two-out, two-run single to left in the eighth to make it a 9-2 lead for the Flock. Staten Island rallied for three runs in the ninth on a solo homer by Ricardo Cespedes, an RBI double by Javier Betancourt and an RBI single by Joseph Monge, but they couldn’t pull even.

Iorio (5-0) earned the win, tossing seven innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and four walks with one strikeout. Solter (0-4) suffered the loss, surrendering seven runs on 11 hits and two walks in six innings while striking out three. 

De Aza led the Flock offensively with three hits, four RBIs, two runs and a walk. Travis added three hits and two RBIs, while Rusney Castillo also chipped in with three hits. 

The Ducks and FerryHawks continue their three-game series on Saturday night. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). Following the game, all fans in attendance will be treated to a Fireworks Spectacular. It’s also a Lucky Seat Saturday, presented by Long Island MacArthur Airport. During the game, one lucky fan will win a free roundtrip for two to any of Breeze Airways’ 28 destinations. Left-hander Stephen Tarpley (0-2, 7.94) takes the mound for the Ducks against FerryHawks righty Jordan Simpson (0-2, 4.85).

Southern Maryland 9, Lancaster 5

(June 3, 2022, York PA) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs beat the Lancaster Barnstormers tonight, for their fifth win in their last six tries.  Eddie Butler kept the Barnstormers off the board through three innings and ultimately allowed three runs across five innings. 

The game remained scoreless until the fourth. With one out, Augie Sylk (L, 2-4) surrendered singles to Jared Walker and Alex Crosby, before Joe Deluca walked to load the bases.  The next batter, Braxton Lee, was hit by a pitch, which forced Jared Walker home.  Ryan Haug then ripped a double down the third baseline, scoring Deluca and Crosby, and giving the Blue Crabs a 3-0 lead.  Two batters later, Jack Sundberg ripped a single into right field, scoring Deluca and Haug, giving Southern Maryland a 5-0 advantage. 

Lancaster fought back in the bottom of the fourth. After a leadoff double, Trayvon Robinson drove in Colton Shaver, to cut the deficit to 5-1.  Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Anthony Peroni roped a single into right field, scoring Trayvon Robinson and Trace Loehr, cutting the Blue Crabs' lead to 5-3.  

In the fifth inning, Southern Maryland added a run when Zach Collier scored from third on a wild pitch, giving the Blue Crabs a 6-3 edge.  Southern Maryland picked up another run in the sixth.  Michael Baca doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Michael Wielansky dribbled a single down the third baseline on the infield grass, scoring Baca from third and putting the Blue Crabs ahead 7-3. 

In the seventh, the Blue Crabs struck again when Jared Walker blasted a home run to right field that went out of Clipper Magazine Stadium, extending the Blue Crabs' lead to 8-3.  In the bottom of the seventh, Lancaster responded.  After Andretty Cordero doubled to left-center field, Kelly Dugan launched a two-run home run to right field, cutting the Blue Crabs’ lead to 8-5.   

In the eighth inning, Michael Baca led off with a double to left field and advanced to third on Jack Sundberg’s bunt single.  The Blue Crabs added an insurance run when Michael Wielansky hit a sacrifice fly to center, giving the Blue Crabs a 9-5 lead.   

Meanwhile, the Blue Crabs' bullpen pitched well, as Patrick Baker did not allow a run in the sixth.  While Bradley Roney allowed two runs, Nick Wells came on in relief and pitched a clean seventh inning.  In the eighth and ninth innings, Endrys Briceno and Alex Merithew pitched 1-2-3 innings to secure the Blue Crabs’ 9-5 victory. 

The Blue Crabs have now won five of their last six games and look to win the series tomorrow as they take on the Barnstormers for game two tomorrow at 6:35.  Southern Maryland will return to Regency Furniture Stadium Tuesday, June 7 at 6:35 pm.  

York 10, Kentucky 4

(June 3, 2022 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution were once again on the good end of a huge inning on Friday, exploding for a five-run fourth that catapulted them to a 10-4 win on Friday night at PeoplesBank Park in their first ever matchup with the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes.

The Revs scored first, doing so in the first inning for the fourth straight night when Nellie Rodriguez drove his fifth longball of the season, a two-run shot to right-center off of starter Nate Peden for a 2-0 lead.

York plated two more in the third inning. After singling and moving to third on a throwing error, Troy Stokes Jr scored on a Carlos Franco groundout. Two batters later, Elmer Reyes crossed on a JC Encarnacion groundout to double the lead to 4-0.

Duke von Schamann worked through the first three innings hitless, bringing him to eight straight full hitless innings dating back to his previous start in Lancaster.

Celebrating his 31st birthday, von Schamann retired the first 10 batters of the night.  Jimmy Paredes finally got the Genomes into the hit column with a one-out single in the fourth, snapping a streak of nine innings without allowing a hit for von Schamann including his most recent relief appearance. Two batters later, the Genomes got on the board on a base hit from Samir Duenez, the first of four consecutive RBI plate appearances. Luke Becker doubled in a run, Carlos Castro drove in another on a sacrifice fly to right, and Anderson Miller drove in the tying run with a double to knot things up at 4-4.

The Revs started their half of the inning with two hit batters, as Jhon Nunez and Connor Lien were plunked, putting two on with one away. Both scored on a two-run double to left by Reyes, giving York the lead back at 6-4. With the infield in, Franco slapped a two-run single up the middle scoring two more. For Franco, his three RBIs to that point brought his season total to 40. The Revs chased Peden when Encarnacion blasted his second triple of the year on a deep drive to right-center, scoring Franco for a 9-4 lead.  On the play, center fielder Demetrious Moorer collided hard with the LED board in right- center and exited the game during the ensuing pitching change.  Reliever Jack Weinberger entered to record a strike out to escape the fourth inning, but the five-run inning put the Revs back in control with a 9-4 lead. 

Jhoendri Herrera (1-0) pitched the next two innings for York, and despite allowing two baserunners each inning, stranded all four in a scoreless outing to pick up the win.

Robinson Parra pitched a scoreless seventh inning, and Isaac Sanchez followed with a scoreless eighth out of the York bullpen. Parra struck out one hitter, while Sanchez added two of his own.

Franco continued rack up the RBI at an eyepopping rate, knocking in his fourth run of the game with a two-out single in the eighth to score Yefri Perez, who had led off the inning by reaching on an error. With another big night, Franco (3-for-5) moved into the league lead for RBIs with 41.  He is now 17-for-30, batting .567 on a seven-game hitting streak with 15 RBI in his last six games.

Jim Fuller forced three quick groundballs to close the game in a non-save situation, giving York the 10-4 win.

The Revs will look to take the series on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. when Austin Nicely toes the rubber searching for his first win of the season, opposite righty Max Povse.  The night features Fireworks presented by Blue Moon Light Sky, Lax Night, Dizz Jersey Auction presented by Parliament Arts Organization, and Buck-A-Book.  Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.

Notes: The Revs were hit by four pitches in the game, one shy of a club record for a single game.  Weinberger hit both Reyes and Rodriguez in the sixth inning, and after consultation with his fellow umpires, home plate umpire Silvio Martinez warned both benches prompting a heated argument from Revs manager Mark Mason, although no ejections were issued.

Charleston 9, Lexington 2