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Kentucky 6, High Point 2

High Point, NC- Elih Villanueva struck out 11 and Felix Pie drove in three runs as the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes defeated the High Point Rockers 6-2 on Thursday night at Truist Point.

 Pie’s two-run home run in the third inning off Rockers starter Ivan Pineyro (4-2) gave the Genomes a lead they would not relinquish and provided more than enough offense for Villanueva’s masterful start.

 The Genomes took a 1-0 lead almost instantly, when Luke Becker tripled on the first pitch of the game and scored moments later on a wild pitch. In the bottom of the first inning, the Rockers appeared to pick up exactly where the offense had left off last night, however, when Ben Aklinski (16th) and Jerry Downs (15th) hit back-to-back home runs for a 2-1 lead.

 In the third, with a runner on first base, Pie launched a towering home run down the right field line, keeping it fair and putting Wild Health ahead 3-2. He would also score in the sixth on a wild pitch after hitting the Genomes’ second triple of the game.

 Kentucky would add two more runs in the eighth inning off Bryce Hensley to close the scoring.

 Villanueva (8-8) was masterful, allowing just one hit after the first inning and whiffing 11 Rockers, including four straight and five out of six in one stretch. As a unit, the Rockers only managed a pair of singles after the first inning and had only four total base runners over the last eight innings.

 The win moves the Genomes back ahead of the Rockers in the Wild Card race by one game with now 40 games remaining. The Rockers head to Gastonia for a four-game weekend series, beginning with a doubleheader at CaroMont Health Park tomorrow at 3:15. Their next home series is next weekend, August 12-14 at home against Gastonia.

Lancaster 11, York 3

YORK, Pa. - The Lancaster Barnstormers pulled off a baseball rarity on Thursday evening with each of the nine starters collecting at least two hits in an 11-3 victory over the York Revolution at People’s Bank Park.

 With the win, the club returns home for a nine-game stand with a 2 ½ game lead over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and at least a tie in the 2022 War of the Roses, which Lancaster now leads, 16-10, with six games remaining.

 Jacob Barfield got the scoring going with a line drive single in the top of the first, but York would jump ahead of the Barnstormers briefly.  Elmer Reyes tied the game in the home first with a homer over the left field wall in the bottom of the first.  In the second, York took the lead as Connor Lien and Yefri Perez teamed up with consecutive doubles off spot starter Bret Clarke.

 Austin Nicely (2-9) retired the first two batters in the third, but the Barnstormers suddenly came to life with four straight solid hits.  Barfield lined a single into right, and Trayvon Robinson followed him with a base hit into right center.  Ariel Sandoval tied the game at 2-2 with a double stroked into the left field corner.  Anderson Feliz found the gap in deep left center for a two-run double and a 4-2 edge.

A balk allowed Shawon Dunston, Jr. to cross the plate in the fourth, but, it was in the fifth inning that Lancaster put the game away.  Robinson singled to left, and Sandoval reached on a base hit off Nicely’s glove.  Feliz banged his second double to right center for a 6-2 lead, and Anthony Peroni got two more home with a single into right center.  Dunston chased Nicely with the fifth hit of the inning.  Melvin Mercedes singled into left to load the bases.  Andretty Cordero produced two more with a single up the middle.  Cordero and Mercedes moved ahead when the return throw to the infield deflected off Telvin Nash’s glove, and Barfield got the final Lancaster run home on a grounder to third.

 Gray Fenter (1-0) took over for Clarke in the fifth inning and threw the next four.  He allowed two hits, a home run by Troy Stokes, Jr. and an ensuing double by Jhon Nunez.  Fenter walked one and struck out four in notching the win.

 Lancaster will open a three-game series against Staten Island on Friday.  The Barnstormers will send Erik Manoah (3-1) to the mound against Hector Guance (2-5).  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube channel at 6:25.

 NOTES:  Lancaster struck out 12 more batters on Thursday and 36 for the series…It was the 37th time this season the staff has struck out 10 or more…Lancaster reached 20 hits for the second time this season…Dunston stole his 25th base…Mercedes and Peroni had three-hit nights.

Staten Island 10, Long Island 7

Staten Island, N.Y., August 4, 2022 – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Staten Island FerryHawks 10-7 on Thursday night in the finale of a three-game midweek series from Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.

 The FerryHawks jumped out in front 1-0 in the home half of the first versus Ducks starting pitcher Bennett Parry courtesy of a run-scoring single to center field off the bat of Angel Aguilar. Staten Island made it 3-0 in their favor in the second on a throwing error made by Parry off a sacrifice bunt by Andres Noriega an an RBI base knock from Alfredo Reyes. The home team went ahead 5-0 one inning as Dilson Herrera cracked a two-run home run to left center field.    

 Trailing 7-0 in the fifth, the Ducks got on the board for the first time on the evening against FerryHawks starter Matt Solter courtesy of a bases loaded walk issued to Alejandro De Aza that scored Joe DeCarlo after he began the rally with a leadoff infield single, and a run-scoring groundout off the bat of Sam Travis that enabled Dustin Woodcock to cross the plate after he drew a free pass earlier in the frame. Jacson McGowan’s first home run in a Ducks uniform in the sixth got the Flock to within 7-3, and three batters later Phil Caulfield’s RBI double cut the deficit to 7-4.

 Long Island got to within 7-6 in the seventh on an RBI groundout from Woodcock that scored McGowan and an opposite-field run-scoring single by Phil Caulfield that plated DeCarlo. After a pair of Staten Island insurance runs put them up 9-6, Long Island dented the deficit to 9-7 in the eighth on a Carlos Castro groundout that enabled Travis to cross the plate. The comeback would fall just short as Victor Capellan closed the ballgame out for his team-best 13th save overall

 Solter (4-8) earned the win, giving up four runs on eight hits (one home run) in five and two-thirds innings pitched, walking four and striking out six. Parry (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits (one home run) across five innings pitched, walking three while striking out two. Caulfield led the way at the plate with the first five-hit performance of the season for Long Island, including two doubles, a triple, and a pair of runs batted in.

 The Ducks continue their road trip on Friday night when they open up a three-game weekend series with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Regency Furniture Stadium. 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 (2-2, 5.93) gets the start for the Ducks against Blue Crabs righty Eddie Butler (9-2, 4.73)

Gastonia 10, Lexington 5

Charleston at Southern Maryland, postponed (rain)