High Point 11,  Staten Island 9

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers built a big lead early in the game then held on in the final innings in taking an 11-9 decision from the Staten Island FerryHawks in the first game of the series on Tuesday night at Truist Point.

Ryan Grotjohn blasted a pair of home runs for the Rockers to lead the way in a game that saw a total of seven home runs, four by Staten Island and three by the Rockers.

The Rockers shortstop drove in four runs on the night with a three-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the sixth. He also walked twice and scored three runs. Michael Martinez drove in three runs on a solo homer and a two-run single as High Point starter Justin Nicolino improved to 2-0 on the mound.

Ricardo Cespedes blasted a solo homer off Nicolino to lead off the second inning and put the FerryHawks on the scoreboard, 1-0.

The Rockers answered in the third inning with a five-run outburst. Staten Island starter Ivan Pineyro (L, 3-3), a former Rocker, hit D.J. Burt with a pitch to start the frame and then allowed a single to Michael Russell. Grotjohn went the opposite way for a three-run homer, his ninth of the season. Beau Taylor followed the blast with a double before Pineyro walked Daikan Yoh and Ben Aklinski to load the bases. Martinez then hit a two-run single to right to complete the inning and give the Rockers a 5-1 lead.

High Point added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, using a sac fly from Taylor, a two-run single from Yoh and an RBI double from Aklinski to take the lead to 9-1.

Staten Island used the long ball in the fifth with Mike Wilson leading off with a solo shot, and Angel Aguilar hitting a two-run homer following a Nicolino walk to Ricardo Cespedes. That pulled the FerryHawks to within five at 9-4.

Nicolino (W, 2-0) exited after the fifth with a 9-4 lead, having allowed eight hits and four runs while walking one and striking out five.

Martinez’s homer in the fifth put the Rockers up 10-4 before Grotjohn hit his second homer of the game, and his 10^th of the season, leading off the sixth as the Rockers extended their lead to 11-4.

Austin Ross put Staten Island down in order in the sixth but allowed two runs in the seventh as the ‘Hawks cut the lead to 11-6. Lefty Bryce Hensley pitched a shutout eighth, thanks to a nifty play at the plate on a Yoh to Grotjohn to Taylor relay that cut down Luis Castro trying to score from first on a double to left by Brandon Pugh.

In the ninth, the ‘Hawks touched High Point’s Kyle Halbohn for three runs, all coming on a three-run homer by ex-Rocker Roldani Baldwin. Ryan Dull came out of the bullpen with one on and two outs and struck out Jack Elliot for the final out of the game in earning his league-leading 13^th save of the year.

“We swung the bats well but you can tell we’re tired,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “We just came off a tough 13-day stretch and Friday night’s (division clinching win) was an emotional game. But it was good to get the series opener and we’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”

Game two of the three-game series is slated for a 12:05 p.m. first pitch at Truist Point on Wednesday.

Gastonia 5, Charleston 3

Braxton Davidson has put up video game numbers over the past two weeks.

Coming into Gastonia’s series against Charleston, the lefty slugger had a 1.571 OPS and hit nine home runs in his past 15 games.

He had homered in four straight contests.

And the streak continued on Tuesday night.

Davidson’s go-ahead two-run shot in the sixth inning ended up being the game-winning homer, as the Honey Hunters beat the Dirty Birds 5-3.

The former Atlanta Braves first round draft pick was batting in the sixth with the game tied at 2. He was facing lefty Derrick Adams, but Davidson has shown that he can slug against southpaws just like he can off righties.

He took a fastball over the inner part of the plate the other way for the go-ahead bomb.

Davidson has now homered in five straight contests, and he’ll look to make it six straight on Wednesday.

Aside from the long ball, Davidson also walked twice and singled in the game. He reached base all four times he stepped up to the dish.

He also scored the first run of the game, running home on a passed ball by Charleston’s backstop Yovan Gonzalez in the second inning.

Davidson is now slashing .291/.465/.756, which totals an OPS of 1.221. He has 12 home runs and 29 RBIs in 33 games this year.

After Davidson’s opposite-field homer, Scott Manea then followed up with a solo shot, as the Honey Hunters went back-to-back to take a 5-2 lead.

The Honey Hunters hit three home runs, as Luis Curbelo also went yard against the Dirty Birds. Curbelo crushed a ball 429 feet to dead center field for his seventh of the year.

Gastonia got a good outing from starter Zach Mort on Tuesday.

Following a couple rough outings in a row, Mort went six innings, allowing three runs and striking out eight batters. The right-hander got his seventh win of the season, which is one shy of the most in the Atlantic League.

Sam Freeman, Gabe Klobosits and Bryan Blanton each threw scoreless frames in relief.

Blanton closed the door on Charleston in the ninth, recording his fourth save with a 1-2-3 inning.

The Honey Hunters will try to win the series against the Dirty Birds on Wednesday. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

Lancaster 10, Long Island 1

Lew Ford’s bases-loaded, full-count fly ball came up short on Tuesday evening as the Lancaster Barnstormers held off a late Long Island rally for a 10-8 victory at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

With the win, the Barnstormers improved to 2-0 on the second half.

Lancaster led, 10-4, going into the bottom of the eighth, and Mike Adams breezed through the first two Long Island batters.  Tzu-Wei Lin kept the inning alive with a single to left center, and pinch hitter Alex Dickerson walked.  Brian Goodwin then slammed his second homer of the night, a towering drive over the boards in right to cut the lead to 10-7.

Andrew Lee took over in the ninth.  He struck out Alejandro de Aza to start the inning before walking Sam Travis.  Chance Sisco and Joe DeCarlo singled to load the bases.  Lee rallied to strike out Brantley Bell for the second out, but he walked Lin to force home a run.  Ford, pinch hitting in the pitcher’s spot, worked the count to 3-0.  Lee fought back to 3-2 before Ford’s fly ball ended the night.

Yeison Coca and Andretty Cordero provided a large percentage of Lancaster’s offense.  A bloop hit by Coca was followed by Cordero’s two-run homer off Justin Courtney (0-1) in the first.  In the third, Coca belted a triple to right center and scored on Cordero’s single up the middle.  They teamed up again in the seventh when Coca reached with his fourth hit of the game, a high chopper into the hole at shortstop.  Cordero doubled to right center to plate the run.  Joseph Carpenter doubled twice and drove in two as the Barnstormers built a 7-4 lead through seven.

The ultimately deciding runs scored in the eighth.  Trayvon Robinson led off with a walk and left for designated runner Jake Hoover.  Jack Conley drove a double into the left center field alley.  Hoover rounded third to score but tripped and fell, having to go back to third.  That misstep worked to Lancaster’s benefit as the Ducks brought their infielders in, and Trace Loehr blooped a hit just past the gloves on the right side.  Hoover scored on that play, and Jack Conley came home as well, as Bell’s hurried throw went to the backstop.  Shawon Dunston, Jr. picked up Loehr from third with a single to right.

Brent Teller (5-4) yielded six hits and four runs in five innings to earn the win.

The Barnstormers face the Long Island Ducks again on Wednesday evening.  Jared Lakind (3-2) will make the start for Lancaster against right-hander Matt Solter (1-0, 4-2).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball at 6:30.

NOTES:  Coca has hit safely in 11 games, going 22-for-42 (.524)…He has had three four-hit games in the last 17 days…His average is up to .338…He is batting .406 over his last 31 games…Cordero has 11 doubles in his last 18 games and has 35 RBI in his last 35 games…Carpenter is 10-for-23 (.435) in a six-game hitting streak…Brandyn Sittinger and Zach Warren threw a scoreless inning apiece.

York 5, Spire City 3

(July 11th, 2023 – York, Pa.): Richard Urena came through with the game-winning double in the bottom of the eighth as the York Revolution rode a strong effort on the mound to a 5-3 victory over the Spire City Ghost Hounds on Tuesday evening at WellSpan Park, improving to 2-0 in the second half.

Coming off a rainout on Sunday and an off day Monday, York started the series with Andrew Cabezas getting the ball for his first start against Spire City’s Dustin Beggs.

York struck for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Troy Stokes Jr. blasted a no-doubt two-run homer over the playground in left center to open the scoring. Two batters later Trey Martin got in on the long ball action by launching a high drive over the Arch Nemesis in left to make it 3-0 on his 10th of the year and sixth in the last 12 games.

Beggs settled in and did not allow another run, tossing six innings and striking out eight as he held the Revs in check after the first.

Cabezas was dominant through the opening three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth as Spire City plated three runs to tie the game at 3-3. Kole Cottam got Spire City on the board with a two-run homer to left. Craig Dedelow walked and was doubled home with two outs by Osvaldo Abreu bringing the score even.

York’s bullpen was dominant as four pitchers combined to log five shutout innings of one-hit ball.

J.T. Hintzen threw two innings of scoreless relief behind Cabezas, striking out three across the fifth and sixth innings.

Denson Hull came in for the seventh and got a pair of slick backhanded plays at shortstop by Trent Giambrone, paired with a strikeout in a 1-2-3 frame.

J.P. Woodward (1-0) fired a strong eighth inning, giving up one single but picking off designated pinch runner Scott Kelly to retire the side.

Jeff Singer came in for the bottom of the eighth for the Ghost Hounds and walked Drew Mendoza and Martin as his first eight pitches were out of the strike zone. Urena doubled to left to bring home Mendoza from second as the Revs took the lead back at 4-3. Martin later scored the insurance run when righty Donald Goodson uncorked a wild pitch to make it 5-3.

Will Carter notched his second save in as many games by firing a 1-2-3 frame in the ninth as the Revs went to 2-0 in the second half with the 5-3 victory.

Notes: The Revs improve to 39-26 overall, tied with the 2014 team for best 65-game record in franchise history. York has won seven of its last eight games and 12 of the last 16. The Revs improve to 23-10 at home and have won 19 of the last 24 at WellSpan Park. York improves to 19-9 in games decided by two runs or fewer. Carter had four career saves before the last two games; the Revs had gotten their previous six saves from six different pitchers, as Carter’s appointment to the closer’s role marks the first time since June 13-15 that one pitcher has notched back-to-back saves. The last at-bat victory is the Revs’ sixth of the year and second in the last four victories. Prior to allowing three two-out runs in the fourth, Cabezas had allowed just one run in a span of 9.0 innings. Hintzen lowers his ERA to 1.95 spanning his last 11 outings and 32.1 innings since May 24; he has worked scoreless ball in 9.1 innings over three appearances including one start since last Wednesday. Woodward has yielded only one earned run in 14.2 innings over 15 outings since the start of June. Carter has worked five straight scoreless outings covering six innings. Stokes Jr. clubbed his ninth home run and his sixth in just 27 games since June 11; he is batting .359 during that span. Martin tied his career-high with his 10th home run matching his total from last year in Sioux City; he has now hit six long balls in his last 12 games. Urena’s game-winning RBI is his first with York. Revs righty Pedro Vasquez (3-1, 5.26) faces Hounds right-hander John Witkowski (0-0, 4.76) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. It is Winning Wednesday presented by PA Lottery, Bark in the Park presented by Cover Six Canines, and Discover Downtown presented by Downtown, Inc. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.

Southern Maryland 7, Lexington 2