Staten Island 12, Spire City 2

The Staten Island FerryHawks defeated the Spire City Ghost Hounds by a score of 12-2 on Thursday night in Staten Island! The FerryHawks offense found its rhythm early and rode the momentum through this one.

The duo of newly signed players, Chris Brito and Bobby Sparling stole the show in this one as they combined for 7 hits and 9 RBI’s! Brito, a New Jersey native and Rutgers Baseball product, put the FerryHawks on the board first with an RBI single in the bottom of the 2^nd. Sparling immediately followed him up with an RBI of his own to make it 2-0. Sparling would go on to pick up two doubles that would drive in 3 runs, while Brito would hit an opposite field rocket over the right field fence that also drove in 3.

Starter Christian Capuano, who has dealt with injury, looked healthy tonight as he navigated a gritty Ghost Hounds lineup. Capuano’s final line was 6 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs, and 6 strikeouts. Williams Ramirez struck out the side in the 9^th in relief to secure the 12-2 victory.

Southern Maryland 5, Long Island 3

Waldorf, Md., July 20, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 5-3 on Thursday evening in the rubber game of a three-game series at Regency Furniture Stadium. 

Long Island jumped out in front 2-0 in the top half of the fourth inning against Southern Maryland starting pitcher Spencer Johnston courtesy of a two-out, two-run double into the right field corner off the bat of Brian Goodwin that scored Alejandro De Aza and Alex Dickerson after they both singled earlier in the frame. The Blue Crabs scored four times in the bottom of the fifth versus Ducks starter Matt Solter to take a 4-2 lead thanks to run-scoring singles from Michael Baca and Philip Caulfield and a two-out, two-run double to straightaway center field off the bat of Khalil Lee. 

The Flock got to within 4-3 in the sixth thanks to an RBI fielder’s choice by Goodwin that plated De Aza after he led off the inning with a free pass, but Lee’s run-scoring two-base hit in the seventh enabled Caulfield to cross the plate to give the game its final score of 5-3. 

Johnston (2-2) picked up the victory, allowing three runs on six hits across five and one-third innings pitched, walking two and striking out five. Solter (4-4) suffered the loss despite registering his fourth quality start in 2023, giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings on the mound, walking three while striking out five. Endrys Briceno fired two scoreless innings of relief to notch his fourth save of the season. 

Goodwin tallied a pair of hits, including a double, and drove in three runs while collecting his 12^th stolen base of the campaign. The outfielder now has 14 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games in 2023. 

The Ducks continue their road trip on Friday night when they open a three-game series against the High Point Rockers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. Fans can follow all the action live on Flo Baseball by CLICKING HERE. Left-hander Kyle Lobstein (1-2, 4.98) gets the call for the Flock against Rockers righty Ryan Weiss (5-2, 4.01).

Gastonia 10, High Point 5
 

GASTONIA, N.C. – The High Point Rockers’ offense slept through most of the first innings in dropping a 10-5 decision to Gastonia at CaroMont Health Park on Thursday night.

The Rockers managed just three hits through the first six innings and fell behind Gastonia 10-1 before rallying for four runs in the eighth. But in the end, it was Gastonia that earned the win and moved one-half game in front of High Point in the Atlantic League’s South Division second half race. The Honey Hunters are now 7-3 in the second half while the Rockers are 7-4.

Beau Taylor, Ben Aklinski and Brian Parreira each had a pair of hits for the Rockers with Aklinski driving in a pair of runs.

Gastonia was able to touch High Point starter Mitch Atkins (L, 0-1) for seven hits and six runs as he made his second start of the season after a long rehab period following an arm injury. Atkins did not issue a walk and struck out four while hitting one batter.

The Honey Hunters scored once in the second on a Luis Curbelo sac fly. But it was the five-run third inning that put the Rockers behind 6-0. Kevin Santa drilled an RBI single and Scott Manea contributed a two-run single before David Washington slammed a two-run homer.

The Rockers were able to score on a Parreira sac fly in the fourth and the score remained 6-1 until the seventh. Gastonia added four more runs off reliever Joe Johnson, using a two-run single by Pedro Gonzalez, and RBI singles from Washington and Curbelo.

The Rockers bats woke up in the top of the eighth. Aklinski drove home a pair of runs on a single and Daikan Yoh added an RBI single. Michael Martinez grounded out to force in a run and cut Gastonia’s lead to 10-5.

High Point will open a six-game homestand on Friday, July 21 when the Rockers entertain the Long Island Ducks. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and it will be Agriculture Night at Truist Point with postgame fireworks.

Lancaster 8, Lexington 6

Thomas Dillard slugged three home runs for the visiting Lexington Counter Clocks, but the Lancaster Barnstormers were able to overcome the salvo and defeat the visitors, 8-6, to wrap up a sweep of the three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

It was the fifth straight win for the Barnstormers and improved the second half record to 9-2, two games ahead of the York Revolution, Lancaster’s next opponent.

Dillard slammed a game-tying two-run homer in the third, a leadoff shot in the eighth and a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth as the Counter Clocks tried to salvage the series.

The homerless Barnstormers were not phased.

Shawon Dunston, Jr.  went 4-for-4 with three RBI, and Melvin Mercedes drove in three runs to pace the Lancaster attack.

After Dillard’s first home run tied the game at 3-3, the Barnstormers were able to retake the lead against Aaron Ochsenbein (5-3) in the bottom of the fourth.  With one out, Dunston rolled a single into right field.  He stole second and took third on a wild pitch.  Trace Loehr walked, and Mercedes followed with a line drive toward the alley in right center.  JC Encarnacion cut the ball off before the warning track, but Mercedes raced toward second.  With the throw headed to second, manager Ross Peeples waved Loehr home for a 5-3 lead.

In the fifth, Joseph Carpenter grounded a two-out single into left to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.  Jack Conley followed with a walk, and Dunston tripled into the right field corner for a 7-3 lead.  Dunston also singled home Jack Conley in the bottom of the seventh for some added insurance.

Jeff Bain (1-0) allowed seven hits and three runs in five innings in his first Atlantic League start.

Lancaster heads to York for a three-game weekend series.  Dominic DiSabatino (3-5) will square off against Tom Sutera (6-2) in the series opener Friday at 6:30.  Fans may tune into FloBaseball for the three-game series.

NOTES: Dunston also stole three bases and has 13 for the season…He has eight hits in his last 10 at bats…Conley stole his 20^th base of the year in the seventh…Dillard was only the third player ever to hit three home runs in a game against the Barnstormers…Ian Bladergroen and Jamar Walton, both former Barnstormers, were the other two…Carpenter’s hitting streak is one shy of the season-high on the team, held by Wilson Garcia…Lancaster has scored 107 runs in 11 second half games, 100 in the nine wins.

Charleston 5, York 3

(July 20, 2023 – Charleston, WV):  The York Revolution offense was held in check, dropping Thursday evening’s rubber match to the Charleston Dirty Birds, 5-3 at GoMart Ballpark. The Revs fall to 6-3 in the second half and 43-29 overall for the season and will host Lancaster in a key division weekend series beginning Friday night at WellSpan Park.

Charleston jumped ahead with an immediate 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Jalen Miller reached on a first pitch infield single and Dwight Smith Jr. tagged a two-run homer to right center. Revs starter Nick Raquet escaped further trouble with an inning-ending double play ball.

Dirty Birds starter Danny Wirchansky had the Revs off balance the first time through the order. With two outs in the third, Trent Giambrone launched a solo homer that clipped the corner of the left field foul pole, getting the Revs on the board at 2-1 on his team-leading 15th long ball of the year.

Charleston answered right back with an RBI single in the third by Bobby Bradley, and put up two more in the fourth on a Yefri Perez sac fly and a Miller RBI single to make it 5-1.

Raquet (8-6) tossed a scoreless fifth but suffered the loss, remaining tied for the league lead with eight victories. His five runs allowed marked his most in a start since June 7 as he had allowed no more than four runs in any of his previous six outings.

Wirchansky (3-3) carried the 5-1 lead into the seventh before Drew Mendoza nailed a leadoff homer to right, his eighth of the year. York brought the tying run to the plate after a walk by Nellie Rodriguez and an error, but designated pinch-runner Tomo Otosaka was picked off second for the second out and reliever Ricardo Gomez coaxed an inning-ending fly out on the next pitch to stomp the threat.

The Revs also brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth after a walk to Giambrone and a single by Jacob Rhinesmith (3-for-4), but righty Jacob Bosiokovic struck out the next two batters looking, striking out the side in the eighth.

The Revs made noise in the ninth as Trey Martin drew a leadoff walk, extending his on-base streak to 20 consecutive games. With one out, Martin stole his league-leading 30th base, becoming just the 12th player in Revs history to total 30 steals in a season and the first in the league to do so this year. Martin scored as Richard Urena ripped an RBI double to right center, and with two outs, Jhon Nunez singled to left to put the tying run on base, but closer Ryan Clark retired Giambrone on a liner to center to deny the Revs of the last at-bat comeback.

The Revs suffered their first series loss since June 24-25, having gone 4-0-2 in their previous six series. They have dropped four of their last five at GoMart Ballpark after winning three of their first four in Charleston this season.

York righty Carlos Espinal (5-2, 3.64) faces Lancaster right-hander Dominic DiSabatino (3-5, 5.71) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. It is Boy Scout Sleepover Night and Freebie Friday. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.