Long Island 7, High Point 1

(High Point, N.C., Aug. 4, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the High Point Rockers 7-1 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Truist Point.

Ruben Tejada put the Flock in front early with a first inning solo home run to left field off Rockers starter Justin Nicolino. Lew Ford made it a 2-0 game in the third with an RBI double to right-center field, giving him the 500th RBI of his Ducks career and making him the seventh player in Atlantic League history to reach the milestone. Carlos Castro doubled the lead to four in the fourth with a two-run homer down the right field line.

Three more runs came home for Long Island in the sixth to make it a 7-0 game. Wilson Ramos’ two-run triple to center and Castro’s RBI infield single to third highlighted the inning. High Point cracked the scoreboard in the eighth on Shed Long Jr.’s RBI single to right-center off Ducks starter Robert Stock, but they would get no closer.

Stock (7-2) earned the win, tossing eight innings of one-run ball, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out five. Nicolino (4-1) took the loss, conceding seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits in seven innings with one strikeout.

Ramos and Castro led the Ducks offensively with two hits, two RBIs and a run each. Ford added two hits and an RBI.

The Ducks and Rockers continue their three-game set on Saturday night. 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. Right-hander Justin Courtney (0-1, 5.40) takes the mound for the Ducks against Rockers lefty Brandon Leibrandt (0-2, 7.02).

Long Island returns home on Tuesday, August 8, to begin a three-game set against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). 1969 World Series champion New York Mets first baseman Ed Kranepool will be making an appearance at the ballpark. Kranepool will throw out a ceremonial first pitch and then sign autographs for fans outside the Waddle In Shop to promote his new book, which will be available for purchase in the store. He will be signing autographs for the first three innings of the game. It’s also a Triple Play Tuesday at the ballpark, and if the Ducks turn a triple play during the game, one lucky fan will win $25,000. Tickets to the game, and all home games, are available by visiting the Fairfield Properties Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE.

Lancaster 8, Staten Island 4 (10 innings)

When you hit a grand slam in the top of the first, you don’t expect to win the game in extra innings.

But that is exactly what the Lancaster Barnstormers did on Friday night, defeating the Staten Island FerryHawks, 8-4, in 10 frames, in the opener of a three-game series at SIUH Community Park in the New York City borough.

With the win, the Barnstormers climbed into a second place tie with Southern Maryland in the North Division, one-half game behind York.  Both of the other clubs lost series openers.

Melvin Mercedes, Andretty Cordero and Ariel Sandoval all singled in the top of the first, then Wilson Garcia hit his third homer in two nights, clearing the wall in right center for the quick 4-0 lead.  Joseph Carpenter followed with a double to right center.  Then, nothing.

Over the next eight innings, the Barnstormers managed just five more hits, three of them doubles but could not find a path to home plate.  The most frustrating of those innings was the fourth when Melvin Mercedes lined into a double play with runners at second and third, ending the threat.

Nile Ball escaped jams in the first two innings, but then the right-hander walked Angel Aguilar and Yoshi Tsutsugo to start the third.  Chris Brito followed with a three-run blast to right center to cut Lancaster’s lead to one.  Ball walked two more in the inning before getting Luis Castro to tap out in front of the plate to end the inning.

Ball retired the last seven batters he faced before turning the ball over to the bullpen.  Cody Stashak and Nick Duron fired a scoreless inning apiece, but the FerryHawks tied the game on consecutive doubles by Garrett Kueber and Bobby Sparling off Zach Warren in the eighth.

Mike Adams (3-2) wiggled out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth, and Lancaster took advantage of a sloppy tenth to pull away.

Trace Loehr bunted “ghost” runner Jack Conley to third.  Mercedes walked before Yeison Coca slapped a sharp grounder to Brito at first which was kicked for an error as Conley scored.  Cordero struck out looking for the second out.  Homer Bush, giving respect to Sandoval, who was 3-for-4 with two doubles on the night, walked the Lancaster left fielder to face the switch hitting Garcia.  The strategy was spoiled when Andrew Gross (1-1, 2-1) hit Garcia with a pitch to force home Mercedes.  Carpenter tacked on a two-run single, and Adams retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning.

Lancaster will send Jeff Bain (2-1) to the mound on Saturday against lefty Ryan Hartman (2-5).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  Sandoval has hit safely in seven straight…He had his 25^th and 26^th doubles of the year…Garcia’s grand slam was the first by a Barnstormer since Chris Proctor won a game at Gastonia on Memorial Day…Cordero has hit safely in 21 of 22 games…Carpenter had his third straight multi-RBI game…Lancaster’s pitching struck out 15 for the night.

Spire City 5, York 4

(August 4th, 2023 – York, Pa.):  The York Revolution offense was powered by a pair of milestone home runs but the bullpen faltered in a 5-4 loss to the Spire City Ghost Hounds on Friday evening at WellSpan Park.

The Revs returned home to open a six-game homestand following a 10-day road stretch. Pedro Vasquez got the ball in game one of the three game set with Spire City, opposed by righty Matt Reitz who had shut down the Revs potent offense nearly a month earlier in a start for Charleston.

The Revs struck first in the bottom of the second. After singles by Drew Mendoza and Trey Martin who clocked one high off the Arch Nemesis in left to put runners at the corners, Richard Urena drove in Mendoza with a sac fly to left as the Revs led it 1-0.

York expanded its lead in the third when Troy Stokes Jr. launched a tape measure two-run home run to left center, the 100th of his pro career, increasing the lead to 3-0.

Vasquez was terrific, keeping the Ghost Hounds scoreless into the sixth inning. With his pitch count at 108, Vasquez was lifted with two aboard after striking out Kole Cottam for the first out of the inning. Nelvin Correa entered to record the final two outs of the sixth on a ground out and a fly out, preserving the 3-0 advantage.

Correa struggled in the top of the seventh, however, giving up the lead on four straight hits and a sac fly. Craig Dedelow doubled in two off the Nemesis with the bases loaded, followed by a game tying sac fly by Jose Marmolejos. Lefty Zach Neff came in with a runner on third and only one out. After inducing a ground ball to short that went for an infield hit but failed to produce a run with the infield playing in, Neff got Cottam to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, keeping the game tied at 3-3.

Meanwhile, the Revs offense was unable to manage anything against Reitz after the third as the righty went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, no walks and five strikeouts.

Trouble mounted in the top of the eighth as Luke Becker singled and Scott Kelly reached on an error by Neff attempting to field a sacrifice bunt. Both advanced on a wild pitch, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Neff got two ground balls, both played by Trent Giambrone at short, temporarily keeping the game tied with the infield in, but with two outs, Leobaldo Cabrera blooped a single to shallow right center, bringing home both runs to give Spire City a 5-3 lead.

Dovydas Neverauskas got the save despite allowing a solo home run to left by Nellie Rodriguez with two outs in the ninth. It was the 67th home run of his Revs career, moving past Andres Perez for third-most in Revs history.

The Revs have lost back-to-back games for the first time since July 1-2, having gone 20-7 prior to the last two defeats. Despite the loss, York maintains a half game lead for first place in the second half at 15-8 (52-34 overall).

York righty Andrew Cabezas (1-0, 2.79) faces Spire City right-hander David Kubiak (7-4, 5.00) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. It is Bike Night presented by Eisenhauer’s York Harley-Davidson, Inside-the-Park Fireworks presented by AAA Mid-States, Penn State Tailgate, and WellSpan Wellness Weekend: Back to School/Pediatrics. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.

Gastonia 9, Lexington 8

At Gastonia, the Honey Hunters overcame an 8-7 deficit in the bottom of the ninth and walked-off Lexington 9-8 on Friday night. Doubles by Zach Jarrett and Steven Moya tied the game at 8-8. With two outs, Alexis Olmeda singled home the winning run.

Charleston 5, So. Maryland 2

At Southern Maryland, Charleston rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth to beat the Blue Crabs 5 -2. Southern Maryland starter Tony Dibrell limited the Dirty Birds to three hits and two runs while striking out 10 in his eight innings of work. In the top of the ninth, Telvin Nash singled home a run, Justin O’Conner smacked an RBI double and a fielding error on a ball hit by Diego Goris resulted in three runs and a 5-2 Charleston win.