Spire City, 3, Lexington 2

Spire City 7, Lexington 5

FREDERICK, MD – The Ghost Hounds final home games of the season ended with back-to-back wins over Lexington on Sunday.

After Andrew Moritz opened game one’s scoring with an RBI double, Leobaldo Cabrera answered right back with a single to even the game up.

Raudy Read led off the bottom of the fourth inning with his 20^th home run of the season to put the Ghost Hounds back in front, but Lexington again evened the game with a Zach Davis double in the fifth.

With two Counter Clock runners in scoring position in the sixth, Victor Capellan was able to strike out Osmy Gregorio to strand the runners. Max Povse kept the game tied with a scoreless seventh inning.

In the bottom half with one out, Craig Dedelow launched his 25^th home run of the season to center field to give the Ghost Hounds the 3-2 win.

Game two started the same way game one ended, with a solo home run, this time by Eddy Diaz, to put the Ghost Hounds up 1-0. But that was far from the end of the Ghost Hounds power surge, as they opened the game with 5 straight solo home runs. Diaz, Dedelow, Jose Marmolejos, Kole Cottam, and Luke Becker all left the yard before Lexington recorded an out.

Cottam followed that up with his second home run of the game in the second inning, putting Spire City up 7-0.

The Counter Clocks scored four in the fourth inning, which chased Brendan Medoro from the game, but reliever Christian Lopez struck out the next two hitters to keep the Ghost Hounds up by three. Lopez would finish his outing with four strikeouts over 1.2 innings.

Thomas Dillard hit his second home run of the game to lead off the sixth inning against Jeff Johnson, but Dovydas Neverauskas retired all five batters he faced in order to lock down his eighth save, and preserve a 7-5 Ghost Hounds win.

Notes:

-      With Craig Dedelow’s walk off HR, the Ghost Hounds became the first team in ALPB history with four 25 HR hitters (Cabrera, Cottam, Marmolejos, and Dedelow)

-      With Cottam’s 30^th HR, he and Leobaldo Cabrera became just the third duo of 30 home run hitters in ALPB history, and the first since 2008.

-      In between games, Leobaldo Cabrera was awarded with the team’s 2023 MVP award. Marmolejos, Cottam, and Dedelow were also all recognized as honorable mentions.

High Point 7, Southern Maryland 2
WALDORF, Md. – High Point broke out of a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning with four runs and went on to win their fourth straight game by defeating Southern Maryland 7-2 on Sunday afternoon at Regency Furniture Stadium.

The Rockers improved to 33-21 in the second half of the season and 74-73 overall. The Rockers have tied the club record for wins in a season with 74, matching the mark set by the 2019 club.

The Blue Crabs tallied first, reaching Rockers’ starter Jheyson Manzueta (W, 6-2) for a single run in the second. Jimmy Kerrigan started the inning with a double and then took third on a ground out to second. Joe Deluca singled to right as Kerrigan came home with the game’s first run.

It didn’t take long for the Rockers to retaliate. In the top of the fifth, Quincy Latimore beat out an infield grounder to third. With one out, Diego Goris singled to center as Latimore advanced to second. D.J. Burt then blooped a single to right, allowing Latimore to score the tying run.

Manzueta left after the sixth with the game tied 1-1, having allowed seven hits but just one run while walking one and striking out three.

In the top of the seventh, Latimore led off with a walk from Southern Maryland starter Spencer Johnston (L, 6-5). Latimore then stole second before Michael Martinez grounded to third, allowing Latimore to move to third. Reliever Andre Scrubb came on and walked Diego Goris but Latimore was able to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch with Martinez moving to second. Burt then singled to right to score Martinez for a 3-1 Rockers advantage. With Burt on third, Goris stole second and an errant throw into the outfield by Blue Crab catcher Deluca brought Burt home to score to a 4-1 High Point lead.

So. Maryland threatened in the seventh off reliever Cam Bedrosian, putting runners on first and second with one out. But Khalil Lee sent a sharp grounder to third where Goris was able to make a backhand stab, step on third and fire to first for an inning-ending double play.

High Point added insurance runs in the eighth. Consecutive walks to Beau Taylor and Latimore preceded an RBI single by Goris. Blue Crab reliever Jacob Gilliland would load the bases before he was replaced by Jim Fuller who walked Daikan Yoh to force in a second run and give the Rockers a 7-1 lead. Jameson McGrane retired the Blue Crabs in order in the eighth.

K.C. Hobson powered his 19^th homer of the year for the Blue Crabs in the bottom of the ninth off Taylor Guerrieri to make it a 7-2 game.

Latimore finished the game with a team-high two RBI while adding a pair of hits and two runs scored. Martinez, Goris and Burt each had two hits for the Rockers. Braxton Lee and Joe Deluca led So. Maryland with three hits apiece.

The Rockers will play the Blue Crabs at 12:05 p.m. on Monday to make-up the game that was postponed due to rain on Saturday night. After that, High Point will head to York to start a three-game series with the Revolution. Monday’s game, as well as all Rockers games, are streamed live on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.

Long Island 8, Staten Island 2

(Staten Island, N.Y., Sept. 10, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 8-2 in seven innings on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game weekend series at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.

Long Island took a 2-0 lead against Staten Island starting pitcher Nick Beardsley in the top half of the first inning thanks to a two-run home run off the batter’s eye in center field produced by Brantley Bell. The Flock took a 3-0 advantage in the third by way of an RBI double from Sam Travis.  

The Ducks opened up an 8-0 advantage in the fourth as Bell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Alex Dickerson followed right behind Bell by launching a grand slam home run over the right field wall, Dickerson’s team-leading 26th big fly overall and Long Island’s eighth grand slam hit in 2023. A Kevin Krause two-run home run in the home half of the frame off Long Island starter Kyle Lobstein got the FerryHawks to within 8-2, but they would get no closer as the Ducks close out the 2023 Battle of the Belt competition with a series sweep on the road.

Lobstein registered a no-decision, giving up two runs on five hits in four innings pitched, walking and striking out two. Beardsley (2-6) was tagged with the loss, allowing eight runs on seven hits in five innings on the mound, walking two while striking out one. Jack Anderson (1-0) notched his first win as a member of the Flock after firing two scoreless and hitless frames, walking one and striking out five.

Lew Ford led the offensive charge with three hits, including a double, along with three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.

The Ducks continue their road trip on Tuesday night when they open a three-game series against the Lancaster Barnstormers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Clipper Magazine Stadium. Fans can follow the action live on Flo Baseball by CLICKING HERE. Right-hander Augie Voight (0-0, 10.13) gets the nod for Long Island against a Barnstormers starter yet to be announced.

Lancaster at York, suspended

The game between the Lancaster Barnstormers and York Revolution, scheduled for Sunday afternoon at WellSpan Park has been suspended due to rain and will be picked up in progress on Monday evening.

Play was halted in the bottom of the first inning with York ahead, 1-0.  The Revolution had runners at first and third with two outs and a 1-0 count on Nellie Rodriguez when a heavy cloudburst opened up on the field.

Efforts were made for over an hour to condition the field for the resumption of play before the decision was made to move the game to 6:30 on Monday.

Fans may tune into FloBaseball at 6:25 for the continuation of the game.

Charleston 3, Gastonia 2

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the ninth, the Charleston Dirty Birds scored three times on a three-run homer from Justin O’Conner and took a 3-2 win over Gastonia.

Gastonia had taken a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run double by Eric De La Rosa.

In the ninth, Charleston’s Clayton Mehlbauer opened with a single off reliever Graham Spraker. Juan Carlo Perez then reached on a fielder’s choice as Melbauer was forced at second. Spraker walked Bobby Bradley and struck out Isaias Tejeda. O’Conner then hit a 3-2 pitch to right-center to give the Dirty Birds a 3-2 lead.

Charleston’s Arnaldo Hernandez put the Honey Hunters down in order in the ninth.