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Gastonia 2, Lancaster 1

LANCASTER, Pa. - The Gastonia Honey Hunters managed only three hits on Tuesday evening, but those were enough to slip past the Lancaster Barnstormers, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

In reality, only the first two Gastonia hits mattered.  In the top of the third inning, Nile Ball (1-2) walked Jake Skole to open the frame.  The Lancaster right-hander retired the next two without Skole moving, but Jack Reinheimer ripped a double off the glove of third baseman Andretty Cordero to score Skole from first.  Joseph Rosa followed with a line drive into the right field corner to bring home Reinheimer for a 2-0 lead.

Gastonia’s only other threat came in the top of the sixth.  Reinheimer walked and took third on Rosa’s second double of the game.  Ball worked out of the inning with the aid of a Gastonia baserunning gaffe.  Luis Roman stroked a grounder to second baseman Melvin Mercedes, who was pulled tight to the grass.  Reinheimer stayed in place at third, but Rosa took off for third.  The Barnstormers got the out on Roman, then first baseman Kelly Dugan fired behind Rosa.  Reinheimer bolted for the plate and got pinned in a rundown, eventually tagged out by Cordero.

Marcus Walden (2-0) checked the Barnstormers on four hits over six innings.  Lancaster scored in the bottom of the fourth as Dugan picked up a one-out walk, stole second and rode home on a single up the middle by Colton Shaver.  Andretty Cordero also singled in the inning before Walden got Anthony Peroni to ground into a force play to end the threat.

BJ Boyd doubled to right with two outs in the fifth but was stranded.  Lancaster’s final chance came in the eighth when pinch hitter Anderson Feliz singled to center off lefty Quinton Torres-Costa, leading off the inning.  Torres-Costa got two strikeouts on a harmless fly out to right afterward.

Jesus Balaguer pitched a perfect ninth to earn his third save.

The same two teams meet on Wednesday at 6:30.  Augie Sylk (1-3) will make the start for Lancaster against lefty Jerry Keel (2-0).  Fans may tune into the YouTube Channel, starting at 6:25.

NOTES:  LeDarious Clark had his hitting streak snapped at 15…He lined to left in the ninth…The three hits for Gastonia matched the season low against Lancaster…Clark stole his fifth base of the year, Dugan his second…Tyler Suellentrop, West Tunnell and Josh Graham tossed a scoreless inning each for the Barnstormers…At 2:33, the game was the quickest played by Lancaster since the pandemic by seven minutes.

Long Island 6, Southern Maryland 4

(Central Islip, N.Y., May 24, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 6-4 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Jared Walker gave the Blue Crabs a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo home run to right field off Ducks starter Joe Iorio. The Ducks answered with three runs in the bottom of the first off Blue Crabs starter Eddie Butler on Deibinson Romero’s RBI single to left, an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Sam Travis and Alejandro De Aza’s sac fly to center. Southern Maryland closed the gap to 3-2 in the third on Raul Shah’s bloop RBI double to right. 

The Blue Crabs took the lead back with two runs in the fifth on a sac fly to left off the bat off Braxton Lee and Shah’s RBI single to center. However, Long Island jumped back in front 6-4 in the bottom of the inning on Michael Wielansky’s RBI infield single to shortstop and De Aza’s two-run homer to right. 

Iorio (4-0) earned the win, tossing five innings, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Butler (2-1) took the loss, conceding six runs on 11 hits and one walk in seven innings with one strikeout. Sandy Baez collected his fourth save with a perfect ninth inning, striking out two. 

Dustin Woodcock led the Flock offensively with three hits and two runs. Romero, Rusney Castillo and Vladimir Frias each added two hits, while De Aza drove in three runs. 

The Ducks and Blue Crabs continue their three-game series 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). It’s a Triple Play Tuesday at the ballpark! If the Ducks turn a triple play during the game, one lucky fan will win $25,000. Simply sign up prior to first pitch at the Ticket Kiosk on the main concourse to be eligible. Right-hander Akeel Morris (0-2, 6.57) takes the mound for the Ducks against Blue Crabs lefty McKenzie Mills (2-1, 5.14).

High Point 9, Charleston 5

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers pounded 13 hits including six for extra bases and three home runs in posting a 9-5 win over the Charleston Dirty Birds in the first game of a three-game series at Appalachian Power Park on Tuesday night. The Rockers have now won six straight and stand at 21-8 on the season including a 5-2 record on the road.

Johnny Field led the Rockers with three hits including a home run. Quincy Latimore had a two-run homer and Michael Russell drove in four runs with a triple and a three-run homer.

The Rockers started the scoring right from the start as lead-off hitter Russell tripled to start the game. He would score two batters later on Logan Morrison’s RBI single.

High Point put up three runs in the second, all courtesy of Russell. Chris Proctor led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a single by Giovanny Alfonzo, then Russell homered to put High Point ahead 4-0.

Charleston put two runs up on the board in the second when Engel Beltre doubled home both runs.

Latimore homered with Jerry Downs aboard in the third to put High Point up 6-2.

Charleston cut the lead to 6-3 with a run in the fourth when Anfernee Seymour singled and came around to score on a groundout by Beltre.

The Rockers added two more runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Alfonzo and a sacrifice fly from Russell.

Field’s solo homer in the seventh increased High Point’s advantage to 9-3.

High Point starter Austin Glorius (2-1) went five innings and allowed five hits and three runs while walking two and striking out two. Tanner Duncan, Jonathon Crawford, Bryce Hensley and Chasen Bradford each threw an inning of relief to close out the win.

High Point and Charleston will play game two of their three-game series on Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. at Appalachian Power Park.

NOTES: Ben Aklinski extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

York 1, Staten Island 0

STATEN ISLAND, NY – For the fourth straight game, the FerryHawks were bested by just one run, edged by the Revolution 1-0 in Tuesday’s series opener at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park. The loss extends Staten Island’s losing skid to nine games, despite the fact that seven have been decided by just one tally.  

After a scoreless first inning, York scratched across the game’s only run in the second inning before leading the rest of the way. Carlos Franco led off the frame with a hard-hit ground ball to second base which was coralled by Brandon Wagner. His throw to first though, was off line, allowing Franco to reach on an E-4. After a one-out fielder's choice allowed Jack Kenley to swap spots with Franco, Connor Lien singled to put two aboard for Paul Mondesi. In what would end up being his only at-bat (removed due to injury), Mondesi singled home Kenley to put the Revolution ahead 1-0.   

Solter (0-2) would allow just two more hits the entire evening, lasting seven innings allowing just the one unearned run. He struck out four, walked one, and has now allowed one run or fewer in each of his six starts this season.   

The FerryHawks offense had to deal with a bevy of Revolution pitchers on Tuesday after starter Alex Sanabia was removed due to injury in the fourth inning. The former Major Leaguer was good in his 3.2 innings, whiffing five and coughing up just two hits. Jhoendri Herrera was first to replace Sanabia, tossing 1.1 scoreless frames to get York through the fifth inning.   

Alberto Rodriguez (2-1) hurled a perfect sixth inning to preserve the 1-0 lead, eventually garnering his second win of the 2022 campaign.  

The combination of Rodriguez, Josh Martin, Adrian Almeida, and Jim Fuller allowed just one hit over the game’s final four innings. The quartet struck out five without walking anyone. Fuller worked a perfect ninth, with two strikeouts, for his fifth save of the year.  

Joe Kuzia, Alex Katz, and Eddy Reynoso preserved the one-run deficit by blanking the Revs in the eighth and ninth innings.   

Staten Island (5-22) and York play the middle game of their set on Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM. RHP Julio Teheran goes for the FerryHawks against Revolution LHP Austin Nicely. The FerryHawks Pregame Show starts at 6:15 PM on the SI FerryHawks YouTube Stream.    

Postgame Notes: Matt Solter lowered his ERA to an Atlantic League best 0.97...FerryHawks have lost four consecutive games by one-run...Tuesday marked Staten Island’s 10^thone-run game (2-8)...York’s first win against Staten Island this season... 

Kentucky at Lexington, postponed