Gastonia 6, Long Island 5

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 22, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Gastonia Honey Hunters 6-5 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Gastonia took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Zach Jarrett’s RBI double and Scott Manea’s run-scoring groundout off Ducks starter Robert Stock. Long Island answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame on Carlos Castro’s RBI double and Alejandro De Aza’s run-scoring groundout off Honey Hunters starter Harry Rutkowski. 

Manea’s solo home run to left field in the fourth put the Honey Hunters back in front 3-2. Jarrett scored from third on a throwing error in the sixth, Luis Curbelo connected for an RBI double in the seventh, and David Washington hit a solo homer to right-center in the eighth, stretching the visitors’ lead to 6-2. 

Long Island rallied for three runs in the ninth inning on Lew Ford’s RBI double to right and Alex Dickerson’s two-run homer to center. However, the rally ended just a run short. 

Rutkowski (1-1) earned the win, tossing five and one-third innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out three. Stock (8-3) suffered the loss despite striking out a career-high 13 batters, giving up four runs (two earned) on four hits over six innings. Bryan Blanton collected his eighth save after recording the final two outs. 

Ruben Tejada led the Flock with three hits and scored a run. Dickerson added two hits, two RBIs and two runs, while De Aza totaled two hits and a run batted in. 

The Ducks and Honey Hunters continue their three-game set on Wednesday 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). The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive 2023 Ducks Team Photos, courtesy of Farmingdale Meat Market. It’s also a Waddle In Wednesday at the ballpark, and fans will be able to enjoy $10 off Ducks Fan Chains at the Waddle In Shop throughout the ballgame. Left-hander Ian Clarkin (2-2, 5.53) takes the mound for the Ducks against Honey Hunters righty Zach Mort (11-2, 4.89).

Lexington 3, High Point 0
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers were unable to get untracked offensively and the Lexington Counter Clocks made a three-run homer count for all the marbles in Lexington’s 3-0 win at Truist Point on Tuesday night.

The only runs of the game came in the fourth inning off High Point starter Neil Ramirez. Zach Davis opened the frame with a single and Zach Watson followed with another. Connor Owings then unloaded a three-run homer to give the Counter Clocks the 3-0 lead.

The Rockers had their chances but never had a leadoff hitter reach base. High Point stranded two runners in the third and one each in the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth innings. In the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Brian Parreira singled to left and Michael Martinez beat out an infield hit to put two aboard. That brought Emmanuel Tapia to the plate as the potential tying run but Lexington closer Garrett Schilling struck him out to end the game.

“We got the tying run to the plate and that’s all we can ask for in a game like that,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe.  “We didn’t swing the bats well but they didn’t either. We had guys on base but we just didn’t come through. When we get the tying run to the plate like we did in the ninth, we usually do some damage but we didn’t tonight so we’ll get right back after it tomorrow. We’ll try and win tomorrow and then win the series at home on Thursday.”

Owings and Watson each finished with a pair of hits for the Counter Clocks who improved to 9-30 in the second half. Martinez, who doubled to right-center in the seventh, was the only Rocker with multiple hits. D.J. Burt hit a first inning single to extend his club record on base streak to 55 consecutive games.

Ramirez (L, 2-3) went six innings and allowed just four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Sam Selman, Taylor Guerrieri and Kyle Halbohn each threw a shutout inning in relief. Lexington’s Aaron Ochsenbein (W, 8-5) went six innings, giving up four hits and one walk while striking out five. Schilling struck out one in pitching the ninth and earning his 16^th save of the year.

The Rockers are 65-35 overall and maintain their lead in the Atlantic League’s South Division at 24-13. Gastonia won at Long Island on Tuesday night to move to 23-14 and trail the Rockers by one game.

Game two of the series is slated for 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at Truist Point. The game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and will also be available on the Mixlr app.

Staten Island 6, So. Maryland 1

Staten Island broke out of a tie for second place in the North Division and assumed the two spot on its own with a 6-1 win over Southern Maryland on Tuesday night. The Ferryhawks wasted no time, scoring five times in the bottom of the first inning and cruising to the win.

Angel Aguilar started the five-run outburst with a double and scored on a single by Luis Castrol. Afte Roldani Baldwin singled, Jack Elliott brought home two runs with a single center. Justin Williams then homered to score two more for a 5-0 Staten Island lead. Isaias Quiroz hit his 16^th homer of the year to account for the Blue Crabs’ lone run.

Christian Capuano improved to 10-3 with the win, striking out seven in six innings and allowing just three hits. Southern Maryland starter Tony Dibrell (L, 2-5) yielded seven hits and five runs in his five innings of work.

Lancaster 14, York 4

Melvin Mercedes and Joseph Carpenter homered to pace a 17-hit attack as the Lancaster Barnstormers routed the York Revolution, 14-4, in the opener of a three-game series at WellSpan Park.

With the win, the Barnstormers remained one game ahead of the Staten Island FerryHawks in the North Division.  York fell 4 ½ games behind in fourth place.

Mercedes opened the game with a homer off Pedro Vasquez (7-2), his seventh of the year, down the right field line, and the Barnstormers were never caught. 

In the third, Mercedes led off with a single to center.  He took off for second, drawing shortstop Trent Giambrone over to cover the bag, and Yeison Coca placed a perfect hit-and-run single through the vacated spot.  Andretty Cordero doubled into the right field corner to score Mercedes.  Coca came home on a wild pitch, and Cordero came across on a grounder to short by Ariel Sandoval.

York picked up one run off Nile Ball (7-6) in the bottom of the fourth as Drew Mendoza doubled and Trey Martin singled.  The duo pulled off a double steal to sneak the run home.

Lancaster appeared to put the game away with five in the fifth.  Mercedes doubled to left and scored on a single to center by Cordero.  Sandoval and Wilson Garcia also singled, and Carpenter belted a three-run homer over the “Arch Nemesis” for a 9-1 edge.

The first five York batters reached in the bottom of the fifth on four singles and a walk off Ball, but he got three straight outs to protect the 9-4 lead.  Lancaster iced the game with five in the seventh on four doubles, a single and an error.

The Barnstormers will send Jeff Bain (4-2) to the hill on Wednesday evening against right-hander Andrew Cabezas (1-3).  Fans may tune into the game on FloBaseball, starting at 6:25.

NOTES:  Everyone in the lineup had a hit for the Barnstormers…Carpenter has four homers on the road trip for a team-leading total of 15…Mercedes reached base for the 22^nd straight game…Cordero collected his 35^th double, his 136^th and 137^th hits and his 91^st and 92^nd RBI…All lead the league…The league’s top three hitters are all in this series…Sandoval is now one point ahead of York first baseman Drew Mendoza with Cordero another four points behind…Ball’s win was his 21^st as a Barnstormer…The end of the game was marred by a bench clearing incident as Shawon Dunston, Jr. was hit by a pitch from Zach Neff off the helmet…There was shoving in the middle of the eighth.

Spire City 9, Charleston 7

At Charleston, the Dirty Birds took an early 4-1 lead over Spire City but the Ghost hounds whittle away, taking the lead for good with four runs in the fourth inning and going on to a 9-7 win.

After Luke Becker started the fourth inning with a solo home run, Leobaldo Cabrera and Craig Dedelow drew walks and Jose Marmolejos plated Cabrera with a single. A double from Raudy Read brought home another run and Jimmy Paredes contributed a sac fly for a fourth run.

Matt Reitz earned the win, improving to 3-0 by striking out four in five innings. Max Povse earned the save for the Ghost Hounds. Mikey York (0-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing eight runs over five innings of work.