Gastonia 10, Long Island 3

(Central Islip, N.Y., May 28, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Gastonia Honey Hunters 10-3 on Saturday night in the second game of a four-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Gastonia plated three in the opening inning on Joseph Rosa's two-run triple and Emmanuel Tapia's sac fly to left off Ducks starter Akeel Morris. Long Island answered back with two of their own on Vladimir Frias’ RBI double to left and Rusney’s Castillo’s run-scoring fielder’s choice off Honey Hunters starter John Anderson. Deven Marrero’s RBI double to left in the second tied the game at three apiece.

The Honey Hunters went back in front on another sac fly off the bat of Tapia in the third. Reece Hampton extended Gastonia’s lead to 6-3 in the sixth with a two-run home run to right. Another three-spot for the visitor’s in the eighth on Herlis Rodriguez’s solo homer and a two-run single by Rosa made it 9-3. A run-scoring wild pitch in the ninth rounded out the scoring. 

Anderson (3-3) picked up the win, tossing five and one-third innings of three-run ball, allowing six hits and three walks with one strikeout. Morris (0-4) took the loss, giving up four runs on five hits and four walks over five innings with five strikeouts. 

Frais led the Flock with two hits, an RBI and a run. Joe DeCarlo chipped in with two hits and a run scored. 

The Ducks and Honey Hunters continue their four-game series on Sunday afternoon. Game time is slated for 1:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 12:35 (12:20 for full season ticket holders). It’s 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 12:40 to 1:00. After the game, fans of all ages are also invited to take part in Kids Run the Bases. Right-hander Joe Iorio (4-0, 2.75) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Honey Hunters righty Marcus Walden (2-0, 3.30).

York 3, Lancaster 1

LANCASTER, Pa. - Pitching continued to be the story Saturday night as Eduardo Rivera fired eight innings of three-hit baseball to lead the York Revolution to a 3-1 win in the second game of a four-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The current series stands even at one game apiece.

Rivera (2-1) yielded the one run in his eight-inning stint, while striking out three and also walking three. Lancaster’s Oscar De La Cruz also turned in a solid start. De La Cruz lasted six innings, surrendering only four hits and one run while striking out four and giving up one walk.

Overall, both starters looked sharp, pitching into soft contact and recording quick outs. De La Cruz faced only four batters over the minimum for his six innings while Rivera saw just 29 batters in eight frames.  The two combined for five three up, three down innings

Lancaster struck first in the bottom of the second, as LeDarious Clark reached safely on an error by York’s third baseman Carlos Franco.  Clark was able to swipe second easily on a bobbled transfer by catcher Jhon Nunez. Andretty Cordero grounded out to short, moving Clark to third. Anderson Feliz brought him home with a smash through the right side to put Lancaster up 1-0.

However, with one pitch in the top of the third, York’s Jack Kenley blasted one over the right-field wall to knot the game at one apiece.

Lancaster’s defense was sharp for most of the contest, erasing a handful of potential York doubles and turning them into long singles, along with producing three double plays. However, in the seventh inning, things took a turn at the Barnstormers’ expense.

Chase Johnson (1-3) entered in relief of De La Cruz, and York took advantage, aided by a pair of Barnstormers miscues.

A full-count bounder toward the left side hole ticked off Andretty Cordero’s glove for an error, allowing Franco to reach first with no throw. On the ensuing at bat, former Barnstormer Connor Lien ripped the first pitch for a double into the left-field corner, moving Franco over to third with no outs.

A deep sac-fly to the warning track in right-field off the bat of Nunez was enough to score Franco and move Lien to third. Lien then trotted home on a wild pitch to Kenley for the 3-1 edge.  Kenley reached on an infield single before being erased on a 6-3 double play.

Rivera yielded a two-out single to B.J. Boyd in the eighth.  Jim Fuller struck out two of three in the ninth to earn his sixth save. 

The third matchup of the four-game series between the two rival squads is scheduled for 1 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday, May 29.  Nile Ball (1-2) is ticketed to start for the Barnstormers against right-hander Duke von Schamann (0-2).  Fans may tune into the YouTube channel at 12:55.

NOTES:  Feliz has hit safely in seven straight…He drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the second for the third time on the homestand…Clark has eight stolen bases in the last 12 games…De La Cruz fired the fourth quality start in the five games on the homestand.

Charleston 5, Southern Maryland 2

(Charleston, WV, May 28, 2022) The Charleston Dirty Birds got an early lead and never looked back on Saturday night, defeating the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 5-2. Despite the loss, the Crabs are still eight games up on the second place Lancaster Barnstormers in the Atlantic League North Division.

Mitch Lambson (L, 2-1) got the start the for the Blue Crabs, his seventh of the year. The 2019 American Association Pitcher of the Year allowed a leadoff double to Connor Justus in the first inning, but quickly resettled, picking up back-to-back outs. With two away, Diego Goris continued a scorching stretch, singling a run home, his fourth RBI and fifth hit of the series.

In the third inning, the Dirty Birds extended their lead. With zero outs and the bases loaded, Lambson worked to control the damage once more. Nick Longhi drove in a run on a single, and David Harris canned Juan Perez who was trying to score from second. Engel Beltre followed with a sacrifice fly, handing Charleston a 3-0 lead. After the third, Lambson found a rhythm, blanking the Birds in each of the next four innings. The southpaw collected a quality start, allowing three runs in seven innings.

Charleston’s starting pitcher, Stephen Chamblee (W, 1-1) brought his best on Saturday, allowing just four Blue Crabs hits in six innings pitched. The right-hander fanned five batters, and needed just 79 pitches to earn the win.

The Crabs landed in the scoring column for the first time in the series in the top of the eighth inning when Zach Collier ripped a single to right field, trimming the deficit with the Birds still leading 3-1. Charleston responded immediately though in the bottom of the eighth as Longhi broke through again, blasting a two-run homer off of Dalton Geekie.

Chasing four runs in the top of the ninth, Ryan Haug gave the Charleston faithful a scare, hitting a solo home run to lead off the inning, his first of the year. Despite the shot, the Crabs couldn’t string together more offense in the frame, ultimately dropping the contest by a final score of 5-2. Southern Maryland will look to recover in the third of a four-game set on Sunday, with Eddie Butler on the mound and a 5:05 first pitch.

High Point 4, Staten Island 1

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers scored four times in the top of the ninth inning to post a come-from-behind 4-1 win over the Staten Island FerryHawks Saturday night at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.  It marked the fourth straight game against the FerryHawks that the Rockers have rallied and taken the lead in their final at-bat.

The Rockers swept a three-game series from Staten Island on May 20-22, winning all three games in their final at-bat.

The Rockers have now won eight straight games, their longest-winning streak of the season, and improve 23-8. This is High Point’s best-ever 31-game start to the season since a 19-12 open to the inaugural 2019 campaign.

High Point’s win, coupled with Gastonia’s win over Long Island on Saturday, leaves the Rockers with a 1.5 game lead over the Honey Hunters in the Atlantic League’s South Division.

Staten Island starter Dakota Freese stymied the Rockers through seven innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out eight. In the meantime, Staten Island’s offense was struggling against High Point starter Jheyson Manzueta (2-1) as the game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. That’s when the ‘Hawks used back-to-back doubles by Brandon Wagner and Angel Aguilar to bring Wagner across the plate with the first run of the game.

Victor Capellan set the Rockers down in order in the eighth and the teams went to the ninth inning with High Point trailing 1-0. The ‘Hawks brought in lefty Chris Nunn (0-2) to start the inning and with one out, Jerry Downs reached first on a fielding error by Staten Island left fielder Joseph Monge. Downs was replaced by pinch-runner Michael Russell who scored High Point’s first run when Quincy Latimore doubled down the left field line. With Latimore on second, Logan Morrison drew a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Johnny Field. Zander Wiel struck out for the second out of the inning before Michael Martinez doubled to right to score Latimore and Field. Chris Proctor’s single to left plated Martinez to complete High Point’s scoring.

Adam Choplick pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.

Manzueta scattered five hits over his eight innings of work, walking two and striking out six.

The Rockers and FerryHawks will play a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. in order to make up Friday night’s rainout. The series will conclude on Monday with a 1 o’clock single game. The Rockers will return home on Tuesday, May 31 and start a three-game series with the Charleston Dirty Birds.