High Point 13, Charleston 7

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brian Parreira hit a grand slam and a solo homer and Beau Taylor added a three-run blast as the High Point Rockers drubbed the Charleston Dirty Birds 13-7 Saturday night at GoMart Ballpark. The Rockers finished with four homers on the night.

Parreira’s grand slam was the seventh of the year by the Rockers. It erased a 1-0 Charleston lead and the Rockers were never headed the rest of the way. Taylor hit his three-run homer in the eighth to put the Rockers up 9-3 and Quincy Latimore hit a two-run shot in the ninth to account for the 13-3 final.

The Rockers improved to 9-2 vs. Charleston this season and 59-33 on the season. The Rockers improved to 18-11 in the second half and hold a one-game lead over 17-12 Gastonia in the Atlantic League’s South Division.

A Bobby Bradley double scored Jalen Miller in the bottom of the first to put Charleston ahead 1-0.

In the top of the second, Charleston starter Derrick Adams yielded a lead-off single to Latimore and a single to right by Taylor. A walk to Daikan Yoh loaded the bases and Parreria hit the first pitch he saw over the fence in right center for a grand slam and a 4-1 Rockers lead.

High Point was at it again in the fifth when Adams allowed a bloop double to Ben Aklinski and a single to Latimore to put runners on the corners. Taylor singled home Aklinski and Yoh brought home Latimore with a single to left as the Rockers extended their lead to 6-1.

The Dirty Birds made it a 6-3 game in the sixth off High Point starter Jheyson Manzueta. Bradley singled to start the inning and scored on a double by Telvin Nash. Tilman Pugh then singled to left to bring home Nash.

Jheyson Manzueta (W, 5-1) went six innings and scattered nine hits while allowing three runs and a walk with four strikeouts. Charleston’s Derrick Adams allowed 10 hits in his five innings of work while striking out seven. In relief of Manzueta, Jeremy Rhoades fanned three in the seventh and Sam Selman pitched a one-two-three eighth. Joe Johnson pitched the ninth

Taylor blasted a three-run homer in the eighth to make it a 9-3 game, sending the ball out of the park following singles by Long, Jr. and Aklinski. In the ninth, Parreira hit a solo shot for his second homer of the night, Aklinski singled home a run and Latimore hit his homer, scoring Aklinski, to make it 13-3.

Charleston scored four runs in the ninth including a Jalen Miller three-run homer in the ninth to make it 13-7.

Parreira finished the game with a career-high five RBI while Taylor drove home four runs. Taylor, Latimore and Aklinski each had three hits.

Game three will be played on Sunday at 4:05 at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston. The game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.

NOTES: Brian Parreira’s grand slam tied the club record as it was High Point’s seventh slam of the season, tying the 2019 team… Manzueta has spent parts of the 2021, ’22 and ’23 seasons with the Rockers and is now 8-3.

Gastonia 14, Long Island 3

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 12, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks hosted a sellout crowd of 6,670 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark on Saturday night for the middle game of their three-game series.

Gastonia was led offensively in their 14-3 win by Eric De La Rosa, who had two hits, four RBIs, four runs and two walks. Luis Curbelo chipped in with four hits, three RBIs and a run as well. Braxton Davidson added two hits, an RBI, three runs and two walks. 

Long Island’s offense was led by Boog Powell, who had four hits in the game, including a pair of doubles, and scored a run. Jonathan Guzman launched his first home run as a Duck, a two-run blast to left-center in the sixth. Joe DeCarlo added an RBI single in the seventh. 

Honey Hunters starter Sal Romano (3-4) earned the win, tossing seven innings of three-run ball (two earned) allowing seven hits while striking out four. Ian Clarkin (2-2) took the loss, conceding six runs on five hits and four walks in three innings with two strikeouts. 

The Ducks and Honey Hunters wrap up their three-game set on Sunday evening. Game time is slated for 5:05 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 4:05 (3:50 for full season ticket holders). It’s Jewish Heritage Night at the ballpark, presented by the Jewish Community Centers of Long Island, and the first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Fanny Packs. Glatt Kosher corned beef and pastrami sandwiches will be available for purchase, along with additional Kosher items, behind Section 208. It’s also a Sunday Family Funday, presented by Bethpage Federal Credit Union! Prior to the game, fans will be invited down for a Catch on the Field from 4:10 to 4:30. After the game, fans of all ages are also invited to take part in Kids Run the Bases. Right-hander Merandy Gonzalez (3-2, 5.16) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Honey Hunters righty Brett Daniels (2-0, 3.38). 

Tickets to the game, and all Ducks home games, are available by visiting the Fairfield Properties Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE. Those unable to make the game can follow all the action live on Flo Baseball by CLICKING HERE.

Lexington 3, York 2

(August 12, 2023 – Lexington, KY):  Nick Raquet worked five strong innings and Jhon Nunez homered and drove in both runs for the offense, but a seventh inning long ball handed the York Revolution a 3-2 loss to the Lexington Counter Clocks on Saturday evening at Counter Clocks Field. The Revs remain one game out of first place in the second half standings and will look to avoid a sweep on Sunday.

Nunez spotted the Revs an early 1-0 advantage, lining a laser over the left field fence for a solo homer, his sixth of the year, in the top of the third inning.

York had a chance to extend the lead after a pair of walks to open the fourth, but Lexington starter Mike Kickham induced a double play ball and another ground out to keep it a 1-0 game.

The Revs added to the lead in the fifth as Richard Urena and Alejandro Rivero led off with singles, and Nunez roped an RBI single to center to make it 2-0. But with runners at first and third and still no outs, the Revs were unable to do any further damage. Kickham got a shallow fly out for the first out of the inning before walking Tomo Otosaka to load the bases prompting his departure. Right-handed reliever Raymells Rosa entered and got a broken bat lineout and a strikeout to end the threat.

Raquet allowed just a pair of infield hits over a dominant first four innings and yielded only an unearned run in his five innings of work.

Lexington got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Chris Brady led off with a single, and with one out, an attempted flip to second base for a force out sailed errantly, putting runners at the corners. Zach Watson was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Raquet rebounded to strike out Osmy Gregorio for the second out and his seventh punch out of the night. Connor Owings drew a bases loaded walk, however, to force in a run, cutting the York lead to 2-1.

The Clocks took the lead two innings later, as Owings connected on a two-out, two-run homer to left center, as his second long ball in as many nights put the hosts in front, 3-2 as Owings drove in all three runs in the game for his squad.

Lexington’s bullpen kept the Revs’ offense frustrated as Rosa worked 1.2 innings scoreless, Lincoln Henzman (3-4) handled the seventh and eighth allowing only a single, and Garrett Schilling notched his 15th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Emilker Guzman and J.P. Woodward tossed scoreless frames out of the York bullpen, but Nelvin Correa (2-3) was saddled with the loss after being tagged for the seventh inning damage.

York righty J.T. Hintzen (7-5, 4.95) gets the ball on Sunday at 2:05 p.m., facing Lexington’s Daniel Corcino (0-3, 3.09). 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 1:45 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.

Spire City 14, Lancaster 4

The Lancaster Barnstormers went into Saturday evening’s contest against the Spire City Ghost Hounds with a chance to take sole possession of first place in the crazy North race.

Spire City would not let it happen.

The Ghost Hounds bashed four home runs over Lancaster’s short right field porch to rout the Barnstormers, 14-4, in the middle game of a three-game series.

As a result, the Barnstormers remain in second place, one-half game behind Southern Maryland and one-half game ahead of York.  Staten Island has moved to within 2 ½ games of the top.

Luke Becker launched the first home run, immediately following Kole Cottam’s two-out single in the second.  The blow came off new Lancaster starter Matt Swarmer (0-1) after the right-hander retired the first five hitters of the game.

Kottam added a pair of homers with a man aboard, one in the fourth and one in the eighth.  Osvaldo Abreu connected for a grand slam, two outs into the ninth inning.

Melvin Mercedes keyed a two-run Lancaster third inning with a triple into the right center field gap, driving in one run and scoring the other.  The Barnstormers also got within a run in the bottom of the fourth when Wilson Garcia doubled to left center, and designated runner Trace Loehr scored on a single by Joseph Carpenter.

Cottam and Abreu both finished the night with four hits for the Ghost Hounds.  Kottam drove in five.

Henry Sosa (1-0) made his Atlantic League debut as well.  The former Astro worked six innings, giving up six hits and three runs while walking two and striking out a pair.

The Barnstormers and Ghost Hounds will meet at 5:00 on Sunday.  Lancaster will send Brent Teller (9-4) to the mound against right-hander Dustin Beggs (3-8).  Fans may view the game on Blue Ridge 11 or FloBaseball.  Sunday will mark the final Blue Ridge 11 telecast of the season.

NOTES:  Mercedes extended a hitting streak to nine and an on-base streak to 14…He has a .497 on base percentage in the last 31 games while reaching base in 30 of them…Andretty Cordero doubled in the first inning, his 33^rd of the season…He is eight shy of the club single season record…Spire City clinched the season series with its seventh win…Kottam’s multi-homer game was the 15^th given up by Lancaster pitching this season.

Staten Island 14, Southern Maryland 6