atlanticleague.com

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Magic Numbers: With Gastonia’s 12-0 win over Lexington on Friday night, the Honey Hunters have dropped their magic number to repeat as South Division champions to just one. Gastonia is 38-20 in the second half with eight games remaining. Lexington is 29-28 and in second place. A Gastonia win tonight gives the Honey Hunters a repeat of the South Division after having won the first half. And with a repeat division winner, that would necessitate the need for a Wild Card team to enter the playoffs.

Wild Card Race: Following games of Friday, September 9, High Point remains in the top spot in the ALPB Wild Card race. The Rockers have a 1.5 game lead over Lancaster and a 5.5 game lead over the Wild Health Genomes. Lancaster continues to hold a five-game lead in the North Division over Southern Maryland. Lancaster defeated Charleston 6-2 on Friday. The win, combined with a Southern Maryland loss at York, dropped Lancaster’s magic number for clinching the second half in the North Division to four.  Any combination of four Lancaster wins and Southern Maryland losses over the remaining nine games of the season will send the Barnstormers to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

What Is The Wild Card?: The Wild Card team is the ALPB club not already in the playoffs that has posted the best full-season record.  Southern Maryland has secured a playoff spot by winning the North Division first half race while Gastonia won the first half South pennant. Should either Southern Maryland or Gastonia repeat as second half champions, it would allow a Wild Card team to gain entrance to the playoffs.

Playoff Schedule: Gastonia will open the South Division Championship Series at home on Tuesday, September 20 and Wednesday, September 21. Southern Maryland will play the first two games of the North Division Championship Series on the road and then return home for game 3 and possibly games 4 and 5 starting on Friday, September 23.