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Long Island 16, Lexington 15

(Central Islip, N.Y., July 12, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Lexington Legends 16-15 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

 A two-out grand slam by Dwight Smith Jr. in the first inning off Ducks starter Scott Harkin gave the Legends an early 4-0 lead. The Ducks answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first on sacrifice flies from Sam Travis and Deibinson Romero off Legends starter Daniel Corcino.

 Lexington got both runs back in the second on Phillip Ervin’s two-run homer to left. However, the Ducks responded with an eight-run second inning to take a 10-6 lead. Kevin Whatley's RBI single, L.J. Mazzilli’s three-run homer, Alejandro De Aza's RBI double, Travis’ RBI single and a two-run double by Vladimir Frias did the damage.

 Smith Jr.’s double play ball in the third scored Jordany Valdespin, making it a 10-7 game. Three more runs followed for the Ducks on Lew Ford’s two-run homer to right-center and Joe DeCarlo’s RBI single up the middle. Lexington closed to within 13-12 with a five-run fourth, highlighted by Rusber Estrada’s solo homer and Manuel Geraldo’s three-run homer. However, a wild pitch that scored Whatley and a two-run single by De Aza in the bottom of the inning made it 16-12 Long Island.

 Tillman Pugh’s solo homer in the fifth and Boog Powell’s solo homer in the eighth made it 16-14 Ducks. An RBI single by Pugh in the ninth closed the gap to one. However, Lexington could not pull even.

 Harkin (6-6) picked up the win, tossing five innings, allowing 13 runs (nine earned) on 14 hits and a walk while striking out six. Corcino (2-8) suffered the loss, surrendering 13 runs on 12 hits and four walks over two and two-thirds innings. Tyler Webb collected his seventh save despite allowing a run on three hits in ninth inning.

 Ford led the Flock offensively with four hits, two RBIs and four runs scored. De Aza added two hits, three RBIs, two runs and two walks, while Mazzilli finished with two hits, three RBIs and three runs.

 The Ducks and Legends continue their three-game set on Wednesday 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).

Lancaster 8, High Point 6
LANCASTER, Pa. – The High Point Rockers fell 8-6 to the Lancaster Barnstormers Tuesday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The loss was High Point’s sixth straight to start the second half of the Atlantic League season. The Rockers are now 39-33 overall. The Rockers held leads of 2-0 and 4-2 but a three-run seventh inning put Lancaster ahead to stay.

Lead-off hitter Tyler Ladendorf opened the game by reaching first base on an error by Lancaster third baseman Trace Loehr. Barnstormer starter Erik Manoah, Jr. hit Ben Aklinski with a pitch to put two aboard and then committed a balk to put both runners in scoring position. Zander Wiel singled to left to give the Rockers a 2-0 lead.

Lancaster tied the game in the bottom of the first. High Point starter Ivan Pineyro yielded consecutive singles to Shawon Dunston, Jr. and  Melvin Mercedes before Kelly Dugan delivered an RBI single. Andretty Cordero plated the tying run with a sacrifice fly.

In the third, Aklinski led off with a double followed by a walk to Logan Morrison. Wiel singled to load the bases and Aklinski scored from third when Jerry Downs was hit by a pitch. Michael Martinez grounded out to score Morrison and give High Point a 4-2 lead.

Lancaster added a run in the fourth on a solo homer by Jake Hoover to pull the Barnstormers to within a run at 4-3.

Pineyro went five innings and allowed six hits, three runs and walked four while striking out six. Augie Sylk (W, 4-7) pitched the seventh inning and set down the Rockers in order to earn the win.

Lancaster took the lead in the bottom of the seventh. With Chasen Bradford (L, 2-2) on in relief, Kelly Dugan reached on a catcher’s interference call on Dakota Mulcay, erasing a beautiful diving stop by Ladendorf on a ball hit up the middle. Cordero singled and Anderson Feliz laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up a base. Trayvon Robinson then grounded a single up the middle that scored both Barnstormers and gave Lancaster a 5-4 lead. Junior Rincon replaced Bradford and after walking Hoover, pitching coach Frank Viola went to the mound. That led to a disagreement with the home plate umpire and resulted in Viola’s ejection. Rincon then walked the next two hitters on four pitches each, forcing home a run and giving Lancaster a 6-4 advantage. Ryan Dull then retired Melvin Mercedes on a pop out to third to escape the inning.

Trayvon Robinson hit a two-run homer off Dull in the eighth to go ahead 8-4. The Rockers rallied in the top of the ninth against Lancaster closer West Tunnell. Aklinski drew a walk to leadoff the inning and Wiel then blasted his 18th homer of the year to pull the Rockers within 8-6. But Downs had a screaming line drive snagged at short by Hoover for the second out and Martinez grounded to first to end the game.

Wiel finished the game with three hits and four RBI while Aklinski scored three runs. The Rockes were outhit 11-6 and went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

 High Point and Lancaster will play the middle game of the three-game series on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Gastonia 8, Kentucky 6

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Gastonia Honey Hunters defeated the Wild Health Genomes on Tuesday night at Wild Health Field by an 8-6 score.

Gastonia pounded ten hits in the contest, as Luis Castro collected two hits in the contest, while seven players reached safely in the contest for the Honey Hunters.

Joseph Rosa hit his twelfth home run on the season, a towering blast in the fourth inning, to give Gastonia a 7-4 lead. The home run for Rosa was part of a four-RBI night for the second baseman. Rosa´s three hit night was the seventh time this season the New York native garnered at least three hits in a game.

Once Gastonia took the 7-4 lead, Mauro Gozzo turned to his bullpen to secure the win. The bullpen has been a backbone for the franchise, leading the Atlantic League in saves, hits allowed and tied for the top spot in average against.

The bullpen didn't disappoint!

Henry Martinez, Chad Sobotka, Sam Bordner and Jesus Balaguer pitched five innings, allowing one hit, two walks, while striking out six batters.

Gastonia scored a needed insurance run in the eighth inning as Reece Hampton plated Luis Castro with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 8-6.

Henry Martinez earned the win in relief to move to 2-0 on the season. Elih Villanueva took the loss for Wild Health, falling to 5-7.

The win for Gastonia(50-21) is their sixth straight and 50th on the year. The Honey Hunters are now 29-games over .500 on the season, a franchise record.

Gastonia will play a 12:05 matinee against  Wild Health on Wednesday.  

York at Charleston, postponed

(July 12, 2022 – Charleston, WV):  Tuesday’s scheduled game between the York Revolution and Charleston Dirty Birds at Appalachian Power Park was postponed due to field conditions.  

 The two teams were set to kick off a three-game series on Tuesday evening, but afternoon thunderstorms and heavy rainfall led to the eventual postponement. The game will be made up as part of a twi-night doubleheader with a pair of seven-inning games on Wednesday evening beginning at 5:05 p.m.  

 Coming off a 7-3 victory at Southern Maryland in their most recent contest on Sunday, the Revs will send RHP Eduardo Rivera (5-1, 3.51) opposite Charleston righty Walker Weickel (1-6, 5.71) in the opener. The nightcap will feature Revs righty Alex Sanabia (3-3, 4.45) going up against Dirty Birds southpaw Michael Gunn (2-1, 6.34).

Staten Island at Southern Maryland, postponed