Long Island 6, Staten Island 5

(Staten Island, N.Y., Sept. 8, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 6-5 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game weekend series at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.

Staten Island took a 1-0 lead against Long Island starting pitcher Joe Iorio in the bottom half of the second inning by way of a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Ricardo Cespedes. The FerryHawks made it 2-0 in their favor in the fifth on an RBI single off the bat of Angel Aguilar.

The Ducks sent nine batters to the plate versus FerryHawks starter Christian Capuano in the top of the sixth, scoring four runs to take their first lead of the ballgame at 4-2, highlighted by run-scoring singles from Alex Dickerson, Alejandro De Aza, and Carlos Castro, along with an RBI fielder’s choice from Brantley Bell. Staten Island tied the game at four in the sixth on a two-run home run to right field by Cespedes off reliever Augie Voight and took a 5-4 advantage in the eighth thanks to a run-scoring two base hit from Kevin Krause.

The Flock tied the game at five in the ninth as Bell belted a leadoff home run over the right-center field fence off Staten Island reliever Pedro Payano, and four batters later Ruben Tejada’s base knock to center field enabled Jonathan Guzman to cross to give the visitors a 6-5 lead. Al Alburquerque retired all three batters in the ninth for his eighth save of the season closing out a very dramatic come-from behind victory for the visitors.

Each starting pitcher registered a no-decision in the contest, as Iorio allowed two runs on seven hits in five innings pitched, striking out three, while Capuano surrendered four runs on nine hits in six innings on the mound, walking one and striking out three. Tom Hackimer (1-0) retired the only batter he faced en route to the victory, while Payano (2-6) suffered the loss, giving up two runs on three hits in one inning of work.

Tejada, Scott Kelly, and Sam Travis led the way at the plate with two hits apiece as Long Island won their fourth consecutive game overall.

The Ducks and FerryHawks continue their three-game set on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park. Fans can follow the action live on Flo Baseball by CLICKING HERE. Left-hander Ian Clarkin (3-4, 5.37) takes the mound for the Ducks against FerryHawks righty Ethan Skuija (0-2, 9.39).

Long Island returns home on Friday, September 15, for their final home series of the regular season, a three-game set against the High Point Rockers. 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). It’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Night at the Ballpark, and the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Seat Cushions, courtesy of Good Samaritan University Hospital. 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.

York 5, Lancaster 1

Andrew Cabezas stymied the Lancaster Barnstormers for seven innings on Friday evening as the York Revolution tripped up the ‘Stormers, 5-1, in a game shortened by thunderstorms.

Play was halted with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the eighth inning.

With the win, York pulled to within 2 ½ of the Barnstormers in the North Division race.  At this writing, the outcome of Southern Maryland’s game at home against High Point was undetermined.  With a win, Southern Maryland would take sole possession of first place by one-half game.

Cabezas (3-4) allowed seven hits while walking one and striking out a season-high nine.  Only one of the hits went for extra bases, a leg double by Chris Proctor in the fourth inning.  That helped to set up Lancaster’s lone run of the evening.

York grabbed a 1-0 lead off newcomer Brady Tedesco (0-1) in the bottom of the second.  Richard Urena singled off the left field wall with one out in the inning and was forced at second by Jake Rhinesmith.  Alexis Pantoja smashed a single off shortstop Yeison Coca’s glove to send Pantoja to third, and a wild pitch allowed the run to score.

The Revs threatened to blow the game open in the bottom of the third inning.  A bunt single by Tomo Otosaka and infield single by Drew Mendoza opened the inning.  One out later, Tedesco hit Troy Stokes, Jr. with a 2-2 breaking ball to load the bases.  Nellie Rodriguez singled home one before Urena was robbed by Coca’s diving catch in the hole, and Rhinesmith hit into a force out to end the threat.

In the sixth, the Revs struck for three more.  Pantoja doubled past Shawon Dunston, Jr. with one out and scored on a Trey Martin single up the middle.  Otosaka followed with a two-run homer over the left field wall for the 5-1 lead.

The Barnstormers will send Matt Swarmer (3-1) to the mound on Saturday evening against lefty Nick Raquet.  Fans may tune into the game on FloBaseball at 6:25.

NOTES:  Andretty Cordero singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 18…Wilson Garcia went 0-for-3 to snap a seven-game streak…He was on deck when the game ended…Tedesco yielded eight hits, all singles, while walking one and striking out four…He had been 6-0 in the MLB Draft League for West Virginia.

High Point 3, So. Maryland 2
WALDORF, Md, - The High Point Rockers needed six pitchers, but they combined to three-hit Southern Maryland in a 3-2 Rockers victory on Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.

With High Point’s win and Gastonia’s 19-8 home loss to Charleston, the Rockers are now just a half-game back of the Honey Hunters in the Atlantic League’s second half South Division pennant race. Gastonia is 33-21 and the Rockers are 32-21.

High Point starter Brandon Leibrandt set the tone, throwing four no-hit innings to start the game. He did allow base runners but promptly erased them. He hit Khalil Lee with a pitch with two outs in the first then picked him off first. The lefty allowed a walk to Jimmy Kerrigan in the second but then picked him off as well. He retired the Blue Crabs in order in the third and fourth then exited when he reached his maximum pitch count.

High Point got on the board in the fourth when Zander Wiel walked and came around to score on a Michael Martinez double for a 1-0 Rockers lead.

The newly acquired Darrien Ragins, who came to the Rockers in a trade from the Lake Eric Crushers of the Frontier League, started the fifth but ran into trouble. He walked Kerrigan, allowed a single to Alex Crosby then walked K.C. Hobson to load the bases. Philip Caulfield singled to tie the game before Ragins walked Isaias Quiroz with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run. Jeremy Rhoades (W, 8-2) came on and induced a double play ball and an infield groundout to keep the Rockers’ deficit at 2-1.

Diego Goris led off the seventh with a double off Blue Crabs starter Ian Kahaloa (L, 10-8). D.J. Burt then sent Goris to third with a single to right, setting the table for Ryan Grotjohn to lift a sac fly to center, scoring Goris and tying the game at 2-2. After Kahaloa set down Daikan Yoh, Burt stole second then scored the go-ahead run on a single by Ben Aklinski.

Bryce Hensley threw a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh and Sam Selman did the same in the eighth. Cam Bedrosian followed suit in the ninth, striking out two, and earning his first save of the season.

The Rockers managed nine hits with Goris collecting three and Burt two. The eighth and ninth hitters in the Rockers order went five-for-eight on Friday night with two runs scored.

Game two of the series is scheduled for a 6:35 p.m. start on Saturday at Regency Furniture Stadium. The game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.

Charleston 19, Gastonia 8

The Dirty Birds matched their season-high in runs with a 19-8 win at Gastonia on Friday night. Gastonia held a 3-2 leading entering the fourth inning when Charleston exploded for nine runs. The Dirty Birds hit four homers in the inning, including a three-run shot from Justin O’Conner, two-run homers from Dwight Smith, Jr. and Yefri Perez and a solo blast from Juan Carlo Perez. Perez and Smith each finished with three hits with Perez driving in five runs.

Gastonia’s David Washington hit a pairof homers and Eric De La Rosa added a round-tripper. Washington has homered in three straight games and in four of the last five. He finished the night with five RBI.

Lexington at Spire City, postponed

Rescheduled for Sept. 9