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Southern Maryland 7, Lancaster 5

(6/18/2022, Waldorf, MD) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs took down the Lancaster Barnstormers behind four runs in the seventh and eighth innings. The Blue Crabs battled from behind to secure their seventh consecutive win, 7-5. Southern Maryland also rebranded tonight as the Baltimore Elite Giants, a former Negro Leagues team for Juneteenth Night. 

Denson Hull started for the Blue Crabs.  Lancaster scored a run in the second, as Shawon Dunston tripled to the right-field corner, scoring Anthony Peroni and giving the Barnstormers a 1-0 lead.  Lancaster added a run in the third inning when Andretty Cordero scored on a fielder’s choice.  

The Blue Crabs battled back in the fourth.  Michael Wielansky led off with a walk and Zach Collier followed with a single.  Jared Walker then drilled a three-run shot over the wall in left-center field, putting the Blue Crabs ahead 3-2.  

Southern Maryland’s lead was short-lived as the Barnstormers added three runs in the fifth inning.  With Melvin Mercedes on first, LeDarious Clark destroyed a double that one-hopped the left-field wall, scoring Mercedes.  Clark advanced to third on the throw home and scored when Haug’s throw got past the third baseman, Alex Crosby.  Later in the inning, Colton Shaver and Trace Loehr hit back-to-back doubles, putting Lancaster ahead 5-3. 

The Blue Crabs fought back in the seventh inning off of Erik Manoah (L, 1-1).  With a runner on first base, Michael Wielansky ripped a triple to left-center, scoring Shah, and getting the Blue Crabs within one run.  With runners on the corners, Jared Walked struck out, but Zach Collier stole second.  Anthony Peroni threw down to second base and Michael Wielansky stole home, tying the game at 5-5. 

In the eighth, The Blue Crabs broke the tie. With runners on the corners and one out, Raul Shah singled to center, scoring Ian Yetsko to put the Blue Crabs ahead 6-5.  With Ryan Haug on third base, Jack Sundberg lined a sacrifice fly to left-center, putting Southern Maryland ahead 7-5. 

Meanwhile, the Blue Crabs’ bullpen thrived.  Patrick Baker pitched one and one-third inning perfect innings before Dalton Geekie pitched a scoreless seventh.  Bradley Roney (W, 4-0) allowed a leadoff double but escaped the eighth inning unscathed. 

In the ninth, Mat Latos (SV, 15) retired the first two batters, before surrendering two base hits. Latos then induced a lineout to left to end the game. 

The Blue Crabs won 7-5, reducing the magic number to just three.  With the win, Southern Maryland has won seven consecutive games and improved to 40-12.  The Long Island Ducks won tonight, meaning that the earliest the Blue Crabs can clinch the division is on Tuesday on Staten Island. 

Gm 1: Charleston 7, High Point 6 (10)
Gm 2: High Point 2, Charleston 0

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers split a doubleheader with the Charleston Dirty Birds on Saturday at Appalachian Power Park. The Rockers shutout the ‘Birds 2-0 in the nightcap after Charleston took a 7-6 decision in the opener.

High Point won its 30^th game of the season and improved to 30-22 on the year. With Gastonia (35-16) falling to Lexington on Saturday, the Rockers are 5.5 games out of first place in the Atlantic League South Division.

The Rockers took a 6-0 lead in the opening game.  In the second inning, Zander Wiel doubled and scored on a single by Michael Martinez. Martinez moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a single by Tyler Ladendorf before scoring on a Mike Gulino sac fly.

In the third, Logan Morrison hit his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to right, to put High Point ahead 3-0. Two batters later, Jerry Downs followed with his sixth homer of the year to extend the lead to 4-0.

Downs would hit his second homer of the game, and seventh of the season, with Ben Aklinski on board, to give High point a 6-0 advantage.

Charleston started to methodically cut into the lead. In the bottom of the fifth, High Point starting pitcher Ivan Pineyro allowed singles to Scott Burcham and Tyler Blaum before Scott Kelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nick Heath’s sac fly scored one run and then Connor Justus singled home another run.

The Rockers acquired Pineyro in a trade with Sussex County of the Can-Am League. He went five innings in his first appearance as a rocker and left the game with a 6-2 lead.

In the sixth, Adam Choplick replaced Pineyro and allowed three consecutive singles to start the inning. Alfredo Gonzalez reached on an infield single, Engel Beltre singled to score Gonzalez and Scott Burcham followed with an RBI single.

Chasen Bradford came on to close the game in the seventh with the Rockers still holding on to a 6-4 lead. Yovan Gonzalez was hit by a pitch to start the inning, Alfredo Gonzalez singled and Beltre drew a walk to lad the bases. Charleston scored one on a Burcham 6-4-3 double play. But Tyler Blaum’s single scored Alfredo Gonzalez and then Corey Bird doubled to left center to score Blaum with the winning run for a 7-6 Charleston victory.

The nightcap was scoreless through six innings until Ben Aklinski drilled a pinch-hit homer leading off the top of the seventh. It was Aklinski’s ninth home run of the season and gave High Point a 1-0 lead. Logan Morrison then slashed a single to right and Tyler Ladendorf doubled to the wall in left, allowing Morrison to come around and score for a 2-0 lead.

Bryce Hensley (W, 1-1) pitched a scoreless sixth for the Rockers and struck out the side in the bottom to earn the win.

Austin Glorius went five innings and struck out a season-high seven batters. Bryce Hensley threw a scoreless sixth inning .

The Rockers will conclude the series with Charleston on Sunday at Appalachian Power Park with a 5:05 p.m. first pitch.

Long Island 10, Kentucky 0

(Central Islip, N.Y., June 18, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks shut out the Wild Health Genomes 10-0 on Saturday night in the middle game of a three-game series before a past-capacity crowd of 6,744 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

The Ducks erupted for four runs in the first inning against Genomes righty Robby Scott. RBI singles from Alejandro De Aza, Rusney Castillo and Joe DeCarlo along with a throwing error that scored L.J. Mazzilli highlighted the frame.

 It remained 4-0 until the seventh when a three-spot extended Long Island’s advantage to seven. Sam Travis’ two-run double to right and a passed ball that scored Travis did the damage. Three more runs came home in the bottom of the eighth on a pair of wild pitches and Deibinson Romero’s RBI groundout to second, rounding out the scoring.

 Ducks starter Anderson DeLeon (3-1) was brilliant in a complete game shutout. The right-hander allowed just one hit and two walks over nine innings while striking out nine batters. Scott (3-5) took the loss, giving up four runs on 10 hits and two walks over six innings with seven strikeouts.

 Castillo had three hits and an RBI to lead the Ducks offensively. Six other Ducks picked up two hits apiece, with Travis driving in and scoring two runs. Mazzilli and De Aza each scored three times.

 The Ducks and Genomes wrap up their three-game set on Sunday 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). Prior to the game, the Ducks will be hosting a Father’s Day Barbecue. Fans can purchase special packages which include a ticket to the game and a 90-minute all-you-can-eat barbecue from 12:05 to first pitch. Visit LIDucks.com/fathersday for more information. It’s also a Sunday Family Funday, presented by Bethpage Federal Credit Union! Prior to the game, fans will be invited down for a Catch on the Field from 12:40 to 1:00. After the game, fans of all ages are also invited to take part in Kids Run the Bases. Right-hander Akeel Morris (2-4, 6.19) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Genomes righty Aaron Blair (0-3, 11.42).

Lexington 3, Gastonia 2

In a game dominated by pitching, the Gastonia Honey Hunters lost Saturday night by a 3-2 score to Lexington in 10 innings at Wild Health Field. 

 JJ Hoover and Reilly Hovis locked horns in a very competitive pitchers duel. 

 For Hovis, he would fall behind early, giving up a leadoff home run to Boog Powell, giving the Legends a 1-0 lead. From then on, Hovis was rock solid, tossing six innings, surrendering four hits and punching out nine Lexington hitters.

 Hoover was equally dominant, going seven innings, scattering three hits and striking out ten Honey Hunters.

Gastonia´s lone output against Hoover was in the fifth, when Stuart Levy lifted a single to left, scoring Zach Jarrett to tie the game at 1-1.

With the game squarely in the hands of each team's bullpen, Lexington would blink first, as Gastonia would score on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning to take a 2-1 lead. The scoring play occurred when Rayder Ascanio attempted to steal second. Blake Swihart came up to throw down to second, but the ball was never received, as it skipped to the backstop, allowing Luis Castro the chance to score on the wild pitch.

 With Gastonia now on top, Jesus Balaguer was summoned to close out the game.

 Phillip Ervin led off the ninth, doubling to left to open the frame. After a Courtney Hawkins ground ball that advanced Ervin to third, Brandon Phillips came to the plate with a chance to tie the game.

 Phillips would hit a ball back at Balaguer, who knocked it down before scrambling to retrieve the baseball and find catcher Stuart Levy. The attempted tag of Ervin was not in time, tying the game at 2-2.

 After Gastonia went scoreless in the top half of the tenth, Lexington moved runner Blake Swihart to the third on a bunt single from Manuel Geraldo. TK Koontz would step to the plate with a chance to play hero.

 Koontz would win the game for Lexington, singling down the third base line, scoring Swihart for the 3-2 victory.

 On the play, Rayder Ascanio protested the call from home plate umpire Christopher Wood and was subsequently ejected, causing Manager Mauro ¨Goose¨ Gozzo to come out and protect his third baseman and plead the case for the Honey Hunters.

 The call was not discussed among the three umpires and the game came to a controversial conclusion.

Jalen Miller claimed the win for Lexington(18-30), advancing to 2-2 on the season. Sam Bordner was tagged with the setback, going to 7-4 on the season. 

 The Honey Hunters (35-16) concludes the three-game series tomorrow, as Zac Godley goes against Daniel Corcino. First pitch is set for 2:05 pm.

York 10 Staten Island 1