Spire City 9, Staten Island8

FREDERICK, MD – In front of their largest crowd in franchise history, the Ghost Hounds sent fans home happy with yet another comeback win on Saturday night, 9-8 over Staten Island. Spire City scored six runs in the eighth inning to take the lead and even the series.

After a 2-0 win the night prior, Staten Island struck first on a single by Luis Castro, scoring Angel Aguilar who had doubled earlier in the inning. The rally was cut short as Kole Cottam cut down Castro trying to swipe second base.

Jose Marmolejos then tied the game in the bottom half with a solo home run to right field, his 22nd of the season.

In the fourth inning, it was the rookie Chris Brito who blasted a solo home run to left and break the tie again, putting the Ferryhawks up 2-1. They had a chance to add another on a double from Jack Elliott, but a phenomenal relay from Leobaldo Cabrera, Eddy Diaz, and Pete Yorgen cut down Kevin Krause at the plate.

Luis Castro added another run with a deep sac fly in the sixth.

Looking to rally, the Ghost Hounds started the inning with a double by Eddy Diaz, who moved to third on a broken bat single from Craig Dedelow. Marmolejos then doubled home a run, as Diaz scored and Dedelow moved to third. Dedelow then narrowly beat a throw to the plate on a grounder from Jimmy Paredes to tie the game at three.

Dustin Beggs was lifted after six innings, as the Hounds turned to Jack Weinberger. Mike Wilson broke the tie again against Weinberger, driving a two-run home run to left field. Later in the inning, Angel Aguilar added a three-run blast of his own against Jeff Johnson. For Aguilar, it was his third extra base hit of the night, and his second home run of the weekend. After sending 10 to the plate in the seventh, Staten Island led 8-3.

In the eighth, the Ghost Hounds completed what has become a signature comeback. After Craig Dedelow stole second base with one out, he scored on a ground rule double from Jose Marmolejos. Marmolejos moved to third base on a fly ball from Jimmy Paredes for the second out, and scored on a wild pitch. Now 8-5, Pete Yorgen lined a base hit to center field that skipped past Ricardo Cespedes in center field. Yorgen made it to third, and Luke Becker, who had been running for Chris Shaw following a walk, scored all the way from first. 

The Ferryhawks then turned to Ryan Mitschele, who allowed an infield single to Raudy Read, which scored Yorgen and made it 8-7. After Osvaldo Abreu walked, Eddy Diaz singled home Becker who was pinch running again, tying the game at 8. Then Leobaldo Cabrera, who had singled to start the inning, blooped a single into center field. Abreu scored to take the lead, but Eddy Diaz was cut down at the plate.

Dovydas Neverauskas retired the side in order in the ninth with a strikeout and pair of groundouts, capping off yet another Ghost Hound comeback, with a 9-8 final.

Charleston 8, Long Island 3 (10 innings)

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 19, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Charleston Dirty Birds 8-3 in 10 innings on Saturday night in the middle game of a three-game series before a past-capacity crowd of 6,013 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

The Ducks took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Brantley Bell’s RBI single to left field off Dirty Birds starter Danny Wirchansky. It stayed that way until the top of the fifth when Justin O’Conner hit a two-run home run to right field off Ducks starter Justin Alintoff, putting Charleston in front 2-1. 

Bobby Bradley’s RBI double down the right field line in the sixth made it a two-run game. However, Long Island rallied in the ninth to tie the game on Alex Dickerson’s mammoth solo homer to right-center and Bell’s RBI fielder’s choice. 

Charleston answered with five runs in the 10th to go ahead for good at 8-3. O’Conner’s RBI single, RBI doubles by Clayton Mehlbauer and Dwight Smith Jr. and a two-run single by Telvin Nash did the damage. 

Neither starter factored into the decision. Wirchansky tossed seven innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out four. Alintoff lasted five and two-thirds innings, conceding three runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Yaramil Hiraldo (1-0) collected the win despite allowing two runs on three hits in the ninth. Kevin Quackenbush (6-3) suffered the loss, surrendering five runs (four earned) on five hits and a walk in one-third of an inning. 

Dickerson led the Ducks offense with two hits, an RBI, a run and a walk. Lew Ford and Carlos Castro each added two hits and a run as well. 

The Ducks and Dirty Birds 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 Summer Safety Fun Night at the ballpark, presented by Good Samaritan University Hospital. Due to unforeseen delays, the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a voucher for a Ducks Drawstring Bag. The Ducks will announce the arrival of the bags via Webbed News, the Ducks weekly email newsletter. 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. Left-hander Kyle Lobstein (3-3, 4.38) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Dirty Birds southpaw Kit Scheetz (6-10, 5.47).

Southern Maryland 3, Lancaster 2 (10 innings)

For the second straight night, the Lancaster Barnstormers and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs went into the ninth inning tied.

The second time around, Southern Maryland’s defense came through, and the Blue Crabs defeated the Barnstormers, 3-2, in 10 innings.

With Staten Island dropping a decision at Spire City, the three teams are back into a first place tie in the North.  York trails by two, pending the outcome of a game at High Point.

Khalil Lee staked the Blue Crabs to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning with a single to left off Brent Teller.  Lancaster answered on Andretty Cordero’s two-run homer, a liner to left center in the top of the sixth.

Then, the games really began.

Lancaster loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh off starter McKenzie Mills.  Southern Maryland replaced Mills with Jacques Pucheu.  The lefty reliever went to 3-1 on Melvin Mercedes, got a called strike at the letters, then struck out the Lancaster second baseman on a high fastball.

Teller, meanwhile, continued to dominate.  The Lancaster starter did not allow another hit after the third inning single by Lee, tossing no-hit ball for 6 2/3 innings.

Trayvon Robinson opened the tenth inning at second base.  Jack Conley barely missed getting a bunt into fair territory before shooting a grounder to the hole at shortstop.  Michael Baca made a diving stop, then fired to cut down Robinson at third.  Trace Loehr floated a single into right center, and Conley took third on an error by Braxton Lee.  Bruce Rondon (1-1) coaxed Mercedes to ground into a double play to close out the threat.

Isaias Quiroz did get the bunt down in the bottom of the tenth.  Lancaster intentionally walked Baca, but Jack Sundberg singled off Mercedes’ glove in the right side hole to produce the game winner off Zach Warren (1-4).

Lancaster will send Jared Lakind (7-3) to the mound on Sunday afternoon against right-hander Liam O’Sullivan (7-2, 9-4).  Fans may tune into the stream on FloBaseball, beginning at 2:00.

NOTES:  Teller became the first Barnstormer to throw nine innings this season…He allowed four hits and two walks while also hitting two…It was his fifth consecutive quality start and his 10^th of the season…Cordero broke out of a two-game slump with three hits…He has 88 RBI on the season and 206 as a Barnstormer over two years…Lancaster had the leadoff man on base in six different innings without advancing him.

High Point 8, York 7 (10 innings)

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Ben Aklinski hit a three-run double in the ninth inning to tie the game and Emmanuel Tapia singled home Zander Wiel in the 10^th as the High Point Rockers defeated the York Revolution 8-7 in 10 innings Saturday night with a crowd of 2,424 watching at Truist Point.

The Rockers overcame deficits of 6-1 after five innings and 7-4 after seven to earn their fifth straight win.

Trailing 7-4 in the bottom of the ninth and right Emilker Guzman on the mound for the Revolution, Tapia started the frame with a walk. Shed Long, Jr. singled and D.J. Burt drew a walk to load the bases. Aklinski then lined a double into right-center to score all three runners and tie the game at 7-7.

Starting the top of the 10^th with Troy Stokes, Jr. at second, Jacob Rhinesmith hit a line drive single to center which Burt fielded on one hop and tossed a strike to catcher Brian Parreira to nail Stokes, Jr. at home. Rocker reliever Cam Bedrosian (W, 2-1) then fanned the next two hitters to get to the bottom of the 10^th.

High Point started the extra frame with Wiel at second. Parreira popped out to short and York intentionally walked Daikan Yoh to put runners on first and second. With the lefthanded Zach Neff on the mound, the lefthanded hitting Tapia sent an 0-2 pitch right back up the middle to score Wiel with the winning run.

“That’s just who we are,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe after the dramatic come-from-behind win. “All we preach is ‘get the tying run to the plate.’ And these guys just don’t give in. Everybody had a hand in this one, from one through 26 on the roster and one through nine in the bullpen. When Benny lined that double in the ninth and everybody was up on the rail. This team is special.”

While Aklinski and Tapia provided the game-winning moments, the night belonged to Burt. He was three-for three at the plate, drew a pair of walks and scored two runs while adding a pair of stolen bases. His first inning infield single extended his streak of consecutive games on base to 53, which is believed to be an Atlantic League record. Defensively, Burt made a diving catch in center field to rob Rhinesmith of extra bases. And in the top of the 10^th, his throw to the plate to cut down Stokes, Jr. was another showcase play.

“Some of the things he does, you just can’t teach,” said Keefe of Burt. “He is special.”

The late fireworks overcame a shaky start for High Point’s Mickey Jannis. He allowed nine hits and six runs over his five innings and left the game trailing 6-1.

“Mick had a tough one today,” said Keefe. “I think (pitching coach) Frank (Viola) and I will take (responsibility) for that. He threw 118 pitches the other day and that’s the most he’s thrown in a few years. But at the end of the day, he got us through five innings and we got to keep the DH and he gave our guys an opportunity and they took advantage of it.”

Austin Ross went two innings and allowed one run and one hit but the Revs would not score again. Kyle Halbohn shutdown York in the eighth as did Sam Selman in the ninth before Bedrosian came on to pitch the 10^th and pick up the win.

Down 4-0 in the fourth, the Rockers got on the board when Wiel blasted his 24^th homer of the year to left field to make it a 4-1 game.

Drew Mendoza hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot in the fifth, to put the Revs up 6-1. On the night, Mendoza was four-for-four and drove in six runs with a two-run single in the first, a solo homer in the third, a two-run homer in the fifth and another RBI single in the seventh.

With the win, the Rockers are now 23-12 in the Atlantic League’s South Division and 30 games over .500 at 64-34. Gastonia dropped a 5-1 decision at home to Lexington on Saturday night to fall two games behind the Rockers.

Game three of the series will take place at 4:05 p.m. Sunday at Truist Point. The game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app. The first 1,000 fans in the gates at Truist Point will receive a free 2023 Rockers team photo.

Lexington 5, Gastonia 1

Connor Owings smacked a pair of doubles and drove in two runs to lead Lexington to a 5-1 win at Gastonia. Lincoln Henzman (W, 4-4) earned the win in relief. Brett Daniels (L, 3-1) took the loss for the Honey Hunters. Eric De La Rosa’s second inning solo homer marked Gastonia’s lone run of the game.