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High Point 9, Kentucky 7
LEXINGTON, Ky., - Zander Wiel hit his 24^th home run of the year and drove in four runs to lead the High Point Rockers to a 9-7 win over the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes on Thursday night at Wild Health Field.

Wiel singled in two runs in the third inning and added a two-run homer in the seventh as Craig Stem threw seven innings and earned the win to improve to 3-3 on the year.

The Rockers scored four times in the third off Kentucky starter Max Povse. Povse retired the first six batters he faced but ran into trouble in the third. Tyler Ladendorf reached on a fielding error by Kentucky second baseman Luke Becker. After a flyout from Giovanny Alfonzo, Ladendorf stole second as Povse walked Mike Gulino. The pair then each moved up by stealing a base. A walk to Michael Russell loaded the bases and Jerry Downs double home two runs. Wiel then singled to score two more runs and give the Rockers an early 4-0 advantage.

The Genomes closed the gap in the bottom of the third when Stem allowed singles to Gavin Johns and Luke Becker to start the frame before Chis Shaw hit his ninth homer of the season to make it a 4-3 High Point lead.

High Point extended its lead to 5-3 in the fourth when Quincy Latimore reached on a throwing error by third baseman Jimmy Paredes then moved to third on a double by Alfonzo. Povse then committed a balk to bring Latimore in to score.

The Rockers went ahead 6-3 in the sixth when Ladendorf reached again on a error. He scored easily from second on Alfonzo’s liner off the wall though Alfonzo was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double by rightfielder Teodoro Martinez. Samir Duenez hit a solo homer in the sixth for Kentucky to leave the Rockers with a 6-4 lead.

In the seventh, Downs led off with a single to left and scored on Wiel’s 24^th home run of the year to give High Point an 8-4 lead.

Stem went seven innings and allowed nine hits and four runs while striking out five and throwing 101 pitches.  Bryce Hensley came on in the eighth and allowed a single to Martinez and a walk to Duenez before Austin Rei homered to close Kentucky’s deficit to 8-7. Ryan Dull entered following the Rei homer and retired Johns for the final out of the eighth.

The Rockers added an insurance run in the ninth when Aklinski walked, Downs and Wiel were hit by pitches and Jay Gonzalez lifted a sac fly to center to score Aklinski for a 9-7 lead.

Dull gave up a pair of hits in the ninth but kept the Genomes scoreless to earn his seventh save of the season.

High Point improved to 5-15 in the second half and 44-42 overall. Kentucky is also 44-42 leaving the two clubs tied for the moment in the Atlantic League wild card race.

The Rockers will open a three-game series at Southern Maryland on Friday at 6:35 at Regency Furniture Stadium.

Gastonia 8, Lexington 6

GASTONIA, N.C. - The Gastonia Honey Hunters scored four runs in their final two times at bat to take down the Lexington Legends 8-6 on Thursday night at Caromont Health Park.

Ian McKinney got the ball for Gastonia, his first outing since returning from paternity leave. His last outing was a clean six inning performance against the York Revolution that resulted in a 10-0 rout.

Lexington rolled out right-handed starter Jalen Miller, searching for his fifth win on the year.

The two pitchers faced off against each other on July 16th, as McKinney won the contest in Gastonia by a 5-3 final, pegging Miller with his third setback of the season.

Rusber Estrada got the Lexington offense going, as he launched his seventh home run of the season to left field, giving the Legends a 1-0 lead.

Gastonia had an immediate rebuttal, scoring three in the bottom of the second frame. Emmanuel Tapia roped a two-run double to right center field, giving Gastonia the 2-1 lead. Alex Holderbach plated Tapia with a sacrifice fly, upping the lead to 3-1.

Joseph Rosa singled Jake Skole, who doubled earlier in the inning, advancing the Honey Hunter's lead to 4-1. In the fourth inning, Estrada was back to his long ball antics, lifting a three-run shot to left center field, knotting the contest at 4-4. The homer marked the third time this season that Estrada has had a multi-homer game.

In the sixth inning, Estrada and company were back on the scoreboard, pushing two runs across to take a 6-4 lead.

Isaias Tejeda led off with a walk, followed by Estrada´s third extra-base hit of the night, a double down the third base line. Manuel Geraldo scored Tejeda with a single to right and Estrada scored on a ground ball double play off the bat of Montrell Marshall.

In the seventh inning, both clubs went to their bullpen, as Ezequiel Zabaleta entered the fray for the Honey Hunters, tossing a scoreless seventh inning.

Lexington countered with Jeff Johnson, as Miller tossed six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out five.

Zabaleta secured a scoreless seventh for Gastonia. Jeff Johnson did not enjoy the same fortune.

Gastonia rallied for three runs in the seventh, as Alex Holderbach hit a two-run single in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game. During the play, Courtney Hawkins´ throw home was high, kicking off the backstop, rebounding to the field as Emmnauel Tapia raced home for a 7-6 Honey Hunters lead.

Quintin Torres-Costa came on in the eighth and struck out the side, taking the Gastonia lead into the ninth.

In the eighth for Gastonia, Zach Jarrett singled home Jack Reinheimer to grow the lead to 8-6.

Jesus Balaguer came on in the ninth to earn the series win for Gastonia, causing Tillman Pugh to pop out to end the game. The save for Balaguer was his 18th of the season, just six off the pace of Atlantic League save leader Mat Latos, who has 24 on the campaign.

Every Gastonia starter logged a hit in the game, Jarrett, Reinheimer, Luis Roman and Darian Sandford earned multi-hit games in the win. Holderbach finished the game with a trio of runs batted in to aid the cause for Gastonia.

Ezequiel Zabaleta picked up the win in relief for the Honey Hunters(60-25,15-4), while Jeff Johnson absorbed the loss for Lexington (32-54,9-11).

The Gastonia Honey Hunters welcome the York Revolution to Caromont Health Park for a three game weekend series. First pitch is set for 6:15 pm.

Long Island 4, Staten Island 3 (11 innings)

(Central Islip, N.Y., July 28, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 4-3 in 11 innings on Thursday night in the rubber game of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

 The Ducks took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a wild pitch by FerryHawks starter Dakota Freese that scored Jacson McGowan and an RBI single to left field by Kevin Whatley. The FerryHawks closed to within 2-1 in the third on Mariel Bautista’s sac fly to center off Ducks starter Bennett Parry. It stayed that way until the sixth when Staten Island tied the game at two on Alfredo Reyes’ RBI fielder’s choice.

 Rusney Castillo broke the deadlock in the seventh with an RBI single through the left side, putting the FerryHawks ahead 3-2. Long Island tied the game at three in the bottom of the eighth on a bases loaded walk by L.J. Mazzilli. It remained even until the bottom of the 11th when Sam Travis won the game with a walk-off RBI single to right.

 Neither starter factored into the decision. Parry tossed five innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and four walks while striking out six. Freese lasted five and two-thirds innings, yielding two runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Chris Cepeda (3-0) earned the win with a scoreless 11th inning, striking out one. Vin Aiello (0-2) took the loss, conceding the winning run on a hit and a walk in one-third of an inning.

 Carlos Castro led the Flock with two hits and two runs scored. Alejandro De Aza also collected two hits.

 The Ducks hit the road on Friday night to open a three-game series against the Wild Health Genomes. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Wild Health Field. Fans can follow all the action on the Long Island Ducks Broadcast Network. Live streaming HD video and audio will be available via BoxCast on LIDucks.com as well as on the Ducks official Facebook page and YouTube channel. Right-hander Ryan Meisinger (2-1, 3.86) gets the start for the Ducks against Genomes righty Elih Villanueva (6-8, 5.82).

 Long Island returns home on Friday, August 12, to begin a three-game set against the Charleston Dirty Birds. 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). It’s Suffolk County Boy Scouts Night, and the first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Baseball Caps, courtesy of Dime Bank.

Southern Maryland at Lancaster, PPD

The game between the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and Lancaster Barnstormers, scheduled for Thursday, July 28, was postponed due to heavy rains and wet grounds.  It will be made up as part of a doubleheader, Saturday, September 17, when the Blue Crabs play the final regular season series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

 Tickets for the Thursday game will be honored at a future Barnstormers game in 2022.

 Southern Maryland had jumped out to a 3-0 lead on home runs by Jack Sundberg and Alex Crosby in the top of the first inning.  After a conference on the field, the tarp was pulled before the bottom of the first could get underway.  High winds and heavy rains inundated the field shortly afterward.  Umpires waited for one hour before calling the game with standing water still visible on the grass behind home plate and in right field.

 The Barnstormers head to Staten Island for a three-game series beginning Friday night.  Oscar De La Cruz (4-1) will make the start for Lancaster against lefty Anthony Rodriguez (4-4).  The game will be available on the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:55.

York 11, Charleston 5