Long Island 7, Gastonia 5

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 11, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Gastonia Honey Hunters 7-5 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Kevin Santa gave Gastonia an immediate 1-0 lead when he led off the game with a solo home run to right field off Ducks starter Justin Alintoff. Long Island pulled even in the third on Jonathan Guzman’s RBI double to center off Honey Hunters starter Zach Mort. 

A three-run fifth put the Ducks on top 4-1. Lew Ford’s two-run double to left-center and Sam Travis’ RBI single to center highlighted the inning. However, Braxton Davidson’s three-run homer to left-center in the sixth tied the game at four. 

Alex Dickerson put the Ducks back in front in the seventh with a three-run homer to right-center. David Washington’s RBI single to right in the eighth closed the gap to 7-5, but Jose Jose escaped a two-on, no-out jam to keep the Ducks in front. 

Neither starter factored into the decision. Alintoff pitched five and one-third innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four. Mort lasted five innings, yielding four runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts. Jose Jose (5-1) earned the win, tossing two innings of one-run ball, allowing a hit and two walks while striking out four. Trent Fennell (0-2) took the loss, conceding three runs on two hits and a walk with one strikeout in two innings. Kevin Quackenbush picked up his 13th save of the season with a scoreless ninth. 

Dickerson led the Ducks offensively with three hits, three RBIs and a run. Ford added two hits, two RBIs and two runs. 

The Ducks and Honey Hunters continue their three-game set on Saturday night. 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). Following the game, all fans in attendance will be treated to a Fireworks Spectacular, presented by Farmingdale State College. It’s also a Lucky Seat Saturday, presented by Long Island MacArthur Airport. During the game, the Ducks will be selecting a lucky fan in the ballpark, who will win two roundtrips on Breeze Airways to any of their six non-stop destinations from Long Island MacArthur Airport. Left-hander Ian Clarkin (2-1, 4.34) takes the mound for the Ducks against Honey Hunters righty Sal Romano (2-4, 4.10).

Lancaster 4, Spire City 2

Jeff Bain did not get off to a good start, but the right-hander recovered.

Spire City reached Bain (3-2) for two runs on the first three batters, but the right-hander and the Lancaster relief staff allowed nothing else as the Lancaster Barnstormers defeated the Ghost Hounds, 4-2, in the opener of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

With the win, Lancaster climbed into second place in the North Division, one-half game behind Southern Maryland.

Leobaldo Cabrera opened the game with a walk and promptly scored on a double to right center by Craig Dedelow.  Dedelow took third on a throw to the plate and came home on a ground out by Jose Marmolejos.

Bain was tested again in the second as Spire City loaded the bases, but Marmolejos struck out to end the threat. 

Overall, Bain worked six innings, surrendering five hits and a season-high four walks.  He fanned six.

Lancaster was stymied by David Kubiak (8-5) for the first two innings before loading the bases with no one out in the third.  Kubiak bounced back to fan Yeison Coca, but the Barnstormers managed one run on a sacrifice fly by Andretty Cordero.

The fifth inning proved to be the turning point.  With one out, Trace Loehr knocked a single into center.  Melvin Mercedes singled to right center but was cut down by Marmolejos at second.  Loehr would race home on a wild pitch to tie the game.  Coca homered onto the right field deck for a 3-2 edge.  Cordero followed that with a double to right center and scored on a single at the same angle by Ariel Sandoval for the 4-2 edge.

Lancaster would not produce another base hit.  Spire City put up a challenge against each of Lancaster’s three relievers, putting runners at first and second with one out against Zach Warren in the seventh and Mike Adams in the ninth.  Both innings ended on a ground ball double play.

The Barnstormers send newcomer Matt Swarmer to the hill on Saturday evening against a yet-to-be-signed pitcher for Spire City.  Fireworks will follow the game.  Fans may tune into the broadcast on FloBaseball, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  The Barnstormers have both turned and hit into six double plays over the past two games…Both of Coca’s homers have come against Spire City…Nick Duron has thrown eight straight scoreless appearances, covering 7 1/3 innings…Adams also tossed his eighth straight scoreless outing, good for a total of nine innings of work…Cordero’s double was his 32^nd of the season, leaving him nine short of the franchise record.

Southern Maryland 7, Long Island 3

(Friday, August 11^th, Long Island, NY) Six. That is the number of games the Blue Crabs have lost at the Duck's home ballpark, Fairfield Properties Ballpark. After dropping the series, the Crabs tried to at least leave with one win and snap the losing streak.   

The win was the 999th all-time victory in Southern Maryland's 15-year history in the Atlantic League.

Tony Dibrell, who had fanned 10 Dirty Birds in his last start, was again facing these Long Island Ducks. With the bases loaded and two outs, a ball squeaked away from Isaias Quiroz, and Boog Powell would be the first player to touch the plate. Long Island got another run in the second without recording a hit as Trent Taylor doubled the lead from a Powell sacrifice fly into left.   

Dibrell and Ducks starter Robert Stock then made it a pitcher's duel, with the score remaining 2-0 for Long Island. That all changed when the Crabs broke through in the top of the sixth. Jimmy Kerrigan hit a sharp liner to left for a double to lead it off, then Alex Crosby would single to get the tying run on. The Crabs scored two runs when Philip Caulfield picked up his third of four hits against his former team, and Quiroz tied it with a sacrifice fly.     

Then, Ducks Manager, Wally Backman, elected to make a pitching change and brought in Al Alburquerque after a double play to start the seventh. Kerrigan mashed his second double in back-to-back at-bats; Backman then walked Crosby intentionally to get to Hobson. Hobson made him pay. On the very first pitch, Hobson turned on a slider and sent a missile over the right field wall for his 15th home run. Two batters later, Quiroz gave the Crabs some breathing room from his two-run home run.     

Joe DeCarlo had a home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh, and the game ended on a 3-6-1 double play to snap the losing streak in Long Island. The Crab's record now stands at 49-43 and 18-11 in the second half, keeping them in first place.     

Tony Dibrell was rewarded with the win, his second since becoming a Blue Crab. Alburquerque suffered his first loss of the season. The Warriors from Waldorf will stay in the big apple and face off with the Staten Island FerryHawks for three games in two days. Tomorrow's game is at 12:00 PM; Ian Kahaloa is the next in the rotation for the Crabs; it will be his 18th start. The live stream of the game will be featured on FloSports.

High Point 6,  Charleston 5 (13 inn)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In the longest game in club history, the High Point Rockers took a 6-5 win from Charleston in 13 innings on Friday night at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston. Daikan Yoh singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 13^th and lefty Bryce Hensley was able to shut out the Dirty Birds in the bottom of the 13^th to preserve the win.

Kyle Halbohn (W, 2-0) earned the win and Hensley picked up his first save of the season.

Ben Aklinski started the 13^th inning at second and moved to third on a disengagement violation by Charleston pitcher Brayden Theriot as John Daly drew a walk to put two aboard. After Daly stole second, Beau Taylor received an intentional walk to load the bases for Daikan Yoh who singled home Aklinski for a 6-5 High Point advantage. In the bottom of the 13^th, Charleston sacrificed Telvin Nash to third before Ryan Grotjohn made a diving stop of a grounder to get the out at first and keep Nash at third. Gonzalez then grounded out back to Rockers pitcher Bryce Hensley who threw to first for the final out.

The Dirty Birds broke the ice first as Juan Carlos Perez doubled to score Dwight Smith, Jr. who had singled off High Point starter Brandon Leibrandt, taking a 1-0 lead.

The Rockers went on top with a pair of runs in the third. Facing Charleston starter Joe Testa, Ryan Grotjohn started the inning with a double and scored on a double by Michael Martinez. Shed Long, Jr. then singled home Martinez to give the Rockers a 2-1 lead.

Daikan Yoh’s solo homer in the fourth inning, his ninth blast of the year, gave the Rockers a 3-1 lead.

Leibrandt would pitch into the sixth inning before walking Perez and hitting Bobby Bradley with a pitch. Austin Ross was summoned from the bullpen and he struck out Telvin Nash and was able to get the Rockers out of the frame unscathed.

Charleston touched Ross for a run in the seventh when Jalen Miller was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a single by Smith, Jr. and scored on a single by Perez.

Leibrandt went five innings and allowed just four hits while walking two and striking out seven. Ross allowed one run and struck out four in his two innings of work. Taylor Guerrieri threw a three up, three down inning in the eighth before turning it over to Ryan Dull in the ninth.

Dull struck out Yovan Gonzalez and Yefri Perez before allowing a double by Jalen Miller. Smith, Jr. then singled to right and Miller beat the throw from Ben Aklinski in right to tie the game at 3-3. It marked Dull’s first blown save of the season after successfully converting 16 straight opportunities.

High Point took a 4-3 lead in the top of the tenth when D.J. Burt started the inning at second and stole third before scoring on a sac fly to deep center by Long, Jr.

Jameson McGrane pitched the 10^th and allowed a sac fly to Telvin Nash to tie the game at 4-4.

In the top of the 11^th, the Rockers loaded the bases with one out on a pair of walks and took a 5-4 lead on a balk by Charleston hurler Luke Westphal. In the bottom of the 11^th, Diego Goris singled home the tying run off Kyle Halbohn but a 4-6-3 double play kept the game tied going into the 12^th.

In the 12^th, the Rockers were unable to score in the top half nor were the Dirty Birds in the bottom half.

The second game of the three-game series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Saturday in Charleston. The game will be livestreamed on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.

Lexington 8, York 2

(August 11, 2023 – Lexington, KY):  Nellie Rodriguez notched a milestone home run, crushing the 70th of his York Revolution career, but it was an otherwise tough night for the offense in an 8-2 loss to the Lexington Counter Clocks on Friday evening at Counter Clocks Field.

Lexington struck first with a run in the bottom of the third inning on a double play grounder off the bat of Andrew Moritz, the only run surrendered by York starter Andrew Cabezas over his first four innings.

Down 1-0 in the fifth, the Revs had a big opportunity with runners at second and third and one out following a double to deep left center by Alejandro Rivero, but Clocks starter Aaron Ochsenbein escaped harm, leaving the bases loaded.

It was a big turning point as Lexington immediately put up five runs in the bottom half, taking control of the game. The big blow came from Connor Owings who nailed a three-run homer down the right field line to make it 4-0. JC Encarnacion added a solo homer to right center, and three consecutive singles followed with Mitch Ghelfi chopping one into right to push home one more, increasing Lexington’s lead to 6-0.

The Clocks added another run in the sixth without a hit as Zach Davis came home on a wild pitch by reliever Will McAffer to make it 7-0.

Ochsenbein took a shutout into the seventh before Rodriguez slammed his third home run in as many nights and 19th of the year on a line shot to left center, leading off the seventh. Jacob Rhinesmith reached on an infield hit, and later scored as Tomo Otosaka (10-game hitting streak) drove an RBI single to deep left to make it 7-2.

Lexington plated one more on a fielder’s choice grounder in the bottom of the seventh to close the scoring.

York has dropped six of its last eight, falling one game back of first place in the second half standings and will look to rebound on Saturday at 6:45 p.m. as LHP Nick Raquet (11-6, 3.99) faces southpaw Mike Kickham (1-5, 9.92). 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 6:25 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.

Notes: Rodriguez becomes the third member of the Revs’ 70-home run club, joining Telvin Nash (104) and Melky Mesa (74).