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Gastonia 6, High Point 3 (Game 1)
High Pint 3, Gastonia 2 (Game 2)

High Point, NC- The Rockers split a Friday doubleheader at Gastonia, dropping the opening game 6-3 before rallying for a 3-2 win in the nightcap.

 In game one, Gastonia took a 3-0 lead in the second inning when Jaylen Smith launched a mammoth three-run home run off Rockers starter Mickey Jannis. The Honey Hunters would then add a pair of runs in the third inning, one scoring on a Dakota Mulcay passed ball, and another on Emmanuel Tapia’s RBI groundout.

Down 5-0, the Rockers finally got on the board in the fourth. After retiring the first nine hitters in order, Gastonia starter John Anderson gave up a leadoff hit to Michael Russell, who would score on a wild pitch two batters later. Then, Jerry Downs launched a solo home run (his third consecutive game with a home run) to make it 5-2. Quincy Latimore would single immediately after, and Cesar Trejo would drive him in to pull High Point to within two.

The Honey Hunters would get a run back in the bottom of the fourth, when Darian Sandford hit a chopper to first base with a runner on third, and Jerry Downs’ only play was to retire Sandford, allowing Skole to score.

Facing closer Jesus Balaguer in the seventh, High Point loaded the bases, but Downs struck out to end the contest.

In the second game, Honey Hunters pitcher Onas Farfan and new Rocker Bryan Quillens traded zeroes until the bottom of the fourth inning. Quillens exited after allowing a walk and a single, and both inherited runners came around to score off Junior Rincon. Luis Castro drove in Joseph Rosa with a single, and Tapia would bring Luis Roman in to score for a 2-0 Gastonia lead.

The Rockers’ bats remained quiet until the sixth, when Michael Russell and Ben Aklinski led off the inning with a pair of doubles. Downs promptly singled into right field, bringing both runners home and tying the game.

In the top of the seventh, the Rockers got three singles from Jay Gonzalez, Mike Gulino, and Russell to load the bases with one out. Aklinski would hit a ground ball to shortstop, but Rosa bobbled the ball, taking away any chance at a double play. Rosa recovered to force out Russell at second, but Gonzalez came in to score the deciding run.

For the day, Downs drove in three runs and has extended his hitting streak to a team best this year with his 13^th consecutive game with a base hit.

Game three of the weekend series is set for tomorrow night at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 as the Rockers look to continue to hound the Wild Health Genomes for the Wild Card spot, now down 1.5 games.

Long Island at Southern Maryland, Postponed (weather)

(Waldorf, Md., Aug. 5, 2022) – Friday’s (August 5) game between the Long Island Ducks and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at Regency Furniture Stadium has been postponed due to inclement weather.

Friday’s (8/5) game will be made up on Saturday, August 6, as part of a single admission doubleheader. First pitch for game one is set for 4:00 p.m. Game two will begin approximately 30 minutes after the completion of game one, and both contests are slated for seven innings.

Charleston at York, Postponed

Kentucky 13, Lexington 3

Lancaster 8, Staten Island 3

Play on Friday night was about as crisp as two-week old lettuce, but the Lancaster Barnstormers prevailed around a two-hour, seven-minute rain delay to defeat the Staten Island Ferryhawks, 8-3, in the opener of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

It was Lancaster’s seventh straight win for the Barnstormers, who now lead the North Division by three games in the second half.

The Friday contest featured only eight hits, but there were six errors, 14 walks, three hit batters, three wild pitches and a passed ball along the way.

Staten Island opened the scoring with a pair in the first.  Antione Duplantis reached when Anderson Feliz dropped the leadoff line drive to right field.  Duplantis stole second and scored when Angel Aguilar thundered a double over the head of left fielder Trayvon Robinson.  Aguilar went to third on a wild pickoff throw by starter Erik Manoah and scored on a wild pitch.

Lancaster got one run back off Hector Guance in the fourth.  Melvin Mercedes and Jacob Barfield drew walks around Andretty Cordero being hit by a pitch.  Robinson delivered the run with a sacrifice fly to left field.

In the fifth, the Barnstormers picked up two more runs, still without the benefit of a base hit.  With one out, Shawon Dunston, Jr. walked and stole second.  Melvin Mercedes also walked.  After Andretty Cordero flied to shallow center, and, with Barfield batting, catcher Andres Noriega attempted to pick Mercedes off first.  The throw bounced out into right field, and Dunston steamed all the way around to score the tying run.  Mercedes ended up at third.

Barfield was hit by a pitch, bringing up Robinson.  The Lancaster left fielder struck out, but Noriega missed the third strike, allowing Mercedes to come home with the go-ahead tally.

After the fifth inning, with wind speed increasing and ominous clouds rolling in, the umpires called for the tarp.  Only moderate, wind-swept rains ever hit, but a persistent drizzle kept both teams and staff waiting, and waiting.

One hour and 41 minutes into the delay, a decision was made to continue the play.  Instead of Guance getting a nod in the Atlantic League record boo, albeit with an asterisk, and the Barnstormers escaping with a cheap win, action was able to resume 26 minutes later.

A passed by committed by Chris Proctor enabled the Ferryhawks to tie the game in the top of the sixth off Dominic DiSabatino, who allowed singles to Christopher Cespedes and Noriega earlier in the inning.

Lancaster was handed the run back in the bottom of the inning.  Trace Loehr produced Lancaster’s first hit with a two-out line drive single into center.  Dunston walked, bringing up Mercedes.  The Lancaster second baseman hit a weak ground ball to first, but Ramon Osuna’s throw was bobbled by Vin Aiello (0-3).  Aiello then served up a wild pitch that allowed Loehr to score.

Errors on ground balls by Barfield and Robinson opened the seventh.  This time, the Lancaster bats took full advantage of the opportunity.  Anderson Feliz singled home one run.  Following a walk to Proctor, Jake Hoover ripped a two-run single off Aguilar’s diving attempt at third.  Dunston got the final run across on a ground ball.

The Barnstormers entertain Staten Island again on Saturday at 6:30.  Lancaster will send right-hander Nile Ball (6-3) to the mound against right-hander Jordan Simpson (0-2).  Fireworks will follow the game.  Fans may also tune into the Barnstormers YouTube channel, starting at 6:25.

NOTES:  The game was Lancaster’s eighth straight win over Staten Island…In Guance’s last two starts against Lancaster, he has allowed only two hits in 10 innings but has yielded 13 walks…Hoover has the longest active hitting streak on the club at four…The win was DiSabatino’s third in his last five relief outings.