York 8, Staten Island 3

August 1, 2023 – Staten Island, NY):  The York Revolution won their series opener against the Staten Island FerryHawks, 8-3 on Tuesday night at Staten Island University Hospital Northwell Health Community Park. The win is the third straight for the Revs who improve to 5-3 on their current 10-game road swing, increasing their first place lead to 1.5 games in the second half.

York jumped to an early lead as Richard Urena slugged his tenth home run of the season to right field with two outs in the second, spotting the Revs a 1-0 edge.

The Revs scored twice more in the fourth as Jacob Rhinesmith cracked his eighth home run of the year on a solo shot to right center, and Tomo Otosaka whacked an RBI single to center, making it 3-0.

York starter Nick Raquet held the FerryHawks scoreless through the first three frames, but a leadoff error got Staten Island going in the fourth, scoring twice (one earned) on RBI singles by Garrett Kueber and Yoshi Tsutsugo, slicing York’s advantage to 3-2.

The Revs responded, scoring twice in the sixth as Drew Mendoza lofted a sac fly to left and Nellie Rodriguez lined an RBI single to center for a 5-2 lead.

York added two more in the seventh as Otosaka bunted for a hit, prompting a throwing error by reliever Ryan Mitschele which plated a run, and Trey Martin lined a sac fly to center, driving home one more for a 7-2 lead.

Raquet (10-6) limited the FerryHawks to just two runs (one earned), working six innings for the win.

Staten Island pushed across a run against reliever Nick Parker in the seventh on a two-out RBI double to left by Noah Fisher.

York had the last laugh with an insurance run in the ninth as Alejandro Rivero lined a leadoff triple to left center and scored on Trent Giambrone’s sac fly to deep center.

Zach Neff and Will Carter worked scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth, respectively, to finish it off.

Notes: York’s three sac flies as a team tied a franchise record (several times). Raquet is the Revs’ first 10-game winner since 2019 (Mitch Atkins and Duke von Schamann) and is the first Atlantic League pitcher to 10 wins this season. He extended his league lead in innings (109.0) and took over the league lead in strikeouts (93) with four in Tuesday’s performance. The Revs improve to 51-32 overall, 19 games over .500 for the first time since late in the 2014 season and three shy of a club record set in 2011. It’s the best record through 83 games in franchise history. The 14-6 second half record is one game off the 2019 club’s second half mark for best 20-game start to a half. Martin walked twice, extending his on-base streak to 26 consecutive games. Otosaka’s bunt hit is his 14th of the season, two shy of a club record 16 set by James Shanks in 2010. York improves to 8-2 against Staten Island on the season. Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to a season-best eight consecutive games. The Revs increase their division lead to 1.5 games for the first time since June 28; it matches their largest lead all season despite sitting in first place at the end of 44 games (compared to second place 20 times and third place 19 times). Revs catcher Jhon Nunez threw out three attempting base stealers in the game. York righty Carlos Espinal (6-3, 3.97) squares off with Staten Island’s Anthony Quattrocchi (0-1, 5.18) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and FloBaseball.TV beginning at 6:10 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.

Long Island 12, Spire City 9

FREDERICK, MD – Long Island and Spire City went blow for blow for the first five innings on Tuesday before a sixth inning rally put the Ducks ahead for good, as the Ghost Hounds dropped Tuesday’s series opener, 12-9.

The Ducks got four straight hits off of starter Jake Fisher, which included an RBI single by Alejandro De Aza and a two-run home run by Sam Travis. Boog Powell had also scored on a wild pitch. After one, Long Island held a 4-0 lead.

The Ghost Hounds would answer with four of their own in the second. After Starlin Castro had led off the inning with a single, the Hounds would string together four straight two out hits to plate four runs. After Luke Becker reached on an infield single, Leobaldo Cabrera doubled in Spire City’s first run of the game. Jose Marmolejos singled home two more, before Jimmy Paredes tied the game with a double.

In the third inning the Ghost Hounds would take the lead. After Craig Dedelow reached on an error and stole second base, he beat the throw home on an RBI single by Scott Kelly, which put Spire City up 5-4.

The Ducks offense would then chase Fisher in the fourth inning. A Joe DeCarlo two run home run and Ruben Tejada RBI double put them up 7-5, with Tejada’s ground rule double being the final blow to Fisher’s night.

One inning later, DeCarlo would add another two-run blast, this time off of Nate Peden to stretch the lead to 9-5.

In the bottom of the fifth, Spire City would claw back into the game, tying it with another four run frame. Dedelow doubled in a run, Cabrera doubled home two more, and Marmolejos tied the game up at nine with a single.

But the Ducks would deliver in the sixth with three runs that would prove to be the difference. Brantley Bell singled in two to put Long Island ahead, before a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Boog Powell added a twelfth run.

After starter Merandy Gonzalez left the game for the Ducks, the Hounds would manage just two hits and a walk over the final 4.1 innings of play. The Ducks pen struck out eight, with Al Alburquerque locking down his fifth save to close out the game. 

Charleston 4, Lancaster 2

Charleston Dirty Birds left-hander Joe Testa won his sixth consecutive start, pitching his club to a 4-2 win over the host Lancaster Barnstormers Tuesday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Testa (8-2) yielded six hits and two runs in his seven innings of work.  He walked one and hit a batter while striking out just two, the first two batters he faced in the contest.

The Dirty Birds provided Testa with all the support he needed in the first two innings.  Telvin Nash drove a homer onto the right field deck with two outs and the bases empty in the first for a 1-0 lead.

Charleston had a more productive second.  With one out, Diego Goris singled into right field, and Yovan Gonzalez walked on a full count pitch off Dominic DiSabatino (3-7).  Jose Bermudez smashed a grounder off the glove of first baseman Wilson Garcia for an RBI single, and the throw to the plate by second baseman Trace Loehr skipped past Conley allowing Gonzalez to take third.  Jalen Miller capped the inning, and the Charleston scoring for the night, with a two-run double into the left field corner.

Over the final 7 2/3 innings, the Barnstormers allowed only two singles while walking two and striking out nine to keep the club in the game.

Lancaster finally broke through against Testa in the sixth.  Yeison Coca reached on a one-out double inside the third base bag and came home two batters later when Ariel Sandoval singled to left center.

Wilson Garcia singled to open the seventh and left for designated runner Melvin Mercedes.  Trayvon Robinson produced Mercedes with a double into the left field corner but never advanced beyond second.

The Barnstormers picked up two singles in the eighth inning but failed to convert as the Dirty Birds turned their second 6-4-3 double play of the game.  One-time Barnstormer Luke Westphal earned his first save for Charleston, allowing one walk in the bottom of the ninth.

Brent Teller (7-4) will make the start for the Barnstormers on Wednesday evening against Danny Wirchansky (3-3).  Fans may tune in on Blue Ridge 11 or FloBaseball, beginning at 6:30.

NOTES:  Coca went 3-for-4, extending his hitting streak to nine…He has eight doubles in 11 games…Sandoval extended an on-base streak to 14 games…Cordero has hit safely in 18 of 19…Former Twins right-hander Cody Stashak struck out two in a perfect eighth inning in his Atlantic League debut for the Barnstormers…Lancaster has lost three in a row, outhitting the opposition in each game.

High Point 6, Gastonia 3
 

GASTONIA, N.C. – High Point’s Ben Aklinski hit a grand slam, his second in the last three games, to help the Rockers overcome a 2-0 deficit and go on to a 6-3 win over Gastonia on Tuesday night at CaroMont Health Park.

Gastonia’s David Washington touched High Point starting pitcher Jheyson Manzueta (W, 4-1) for a solo homer in the second to give the Honey Hunters an early 1-0 lead. That lead became 2-0 in the fifth as Manzueta yielded a double to Scott Manea, a single by Zach Jarrett and a walk to Braxton Davidson to load the bases. Manzueta then walked Washington to force in a run before retiring Pedro Gonzalez to exit the inning.

Gastonia starter Sal Romano pitched into the sixth when John Daly hit a one-out double and Romano issued a walk to D.J. Burt. Romano was lifted for Todd Van Steensel (L, 1-2) who walked Shed Long, Jr. to load the bases before Aklinski unloaded his grand slam. It was Aklinski’s 15^th homer of the year and his third grand slam of the season.

High Point reliever Sam Selman set down the Honey Hunters in the sixth and Cam Bedrosian did the same in the seventh. Gastonia did score a run off Jameson McGrane in the eighth on a solo homer by Gonzalez.

With a one-run lead heading to the ninth, the Rockers added a pair of insurance runs for a 6-3 advantage on a Michael Martinez RBI single and added a fifth run when Martinez scored on a wild pitch by Gastonia’s Bryan Blanton.

Ryan Dull pitched the ninth and after allowing a lead-off single to Jarrett, he then fanned Davidson, Washington and Gonzalez to seal the High Point win. The save was Dull’s 16^th save of the year in 16 save opportunities.

The Rockers improved to 54-30 on the year and tied their season-best mark at 24 games over .500. High Point (13-8 second half) increased its lead in the Atlantic League’s South Division to 1.5 games over Gastonia which is now 11-9.

High Point and Gastonia will meet again on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at CaroMont Health Park for game two of the three-game series. The game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.

Lexington 3, Southern Maryland 2