atlanticleague.com

High Point 6, Lancaster 1

HIGH POINT, NC- Jamie Keefe secured his 1,000 career win with a 6-1 win against the Lancaster Barnstormers on Wednesday night at Truist Point. Dai-Kang Yang drove in three runs to lead the Rockers to victory and complete a three-game sweep of the Barnstormers. 

In his 21st season as a manager Keefe has reached a new milestone in his career with 1,000 wins. The win came after the Rockers came from behind for the third straight game after trailing 1-0, until Yang hit a two-run RBI single to bring in Zander Wiel and Beau Taylor to put the Rockers up 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Yang then hit a sacrifice fly to give the Rockers a 6-1 advantage in the eighth.

Rockers starter Sam Burton pitched five innings and held the Barnstormers to just one run, five hits and two walks. 

The Barnstormers took the first lead of the game with one run in the top of the first after an RBI single from Andretty Cordero to bring around Melvin Mercedes who received a leadoff walk. Jacob Lemoine (L, 1-2) was the starting pitcher for Lancaster giving up three runs, three hits and five walks. 

Taylor Guerrieri (W 1-1) came in to pitch for the Rockers in the top of the sixth, and did not allow a hit while yieldingjust one walk.

The Rockers offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth. High Point tied it at 1-1 after a costly balk from Lemoine which was followed up by a ground rule double from Wiel. A Yang single scored Wiel and Aklinski to put the Rockers ahead 3-1.

Kyle Barraclaugh then came on to pitch for the Rockers in the top of the seventh charged with holding the 3-1 lead. He struck three in his two innings and pitched out of a jam in the eighth when the ‘Stormers had runners on second and third with one out.

The Rockers then tacked on three more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth after Aklinski reached on after an error by Lancaster third basemen Trace Loehr. Taylor singled to put two aboard  before Ryan Grotjohn cleared the bases with a triple to right. A sacrifice fly from Yang then plated Grotjohn in to expand the lead to 6-1. Ryan Dull struck out the side in the ninth to secure Keefe’s 1,000^th win.

The Rockers are now 19-6 on the season and hold a one game lead over Gastonia (17-6) in the Atlantic League’s South Division.

High Point will have Thursday off and then will start a three- game series at Frederick on Friday at 6:35 p.m. Rockers fans can follow the team on the road on the Mixlr audio app with a live video stream at Flosports.com.

York 6, So. Maryland 5

HIGH POINT, NC- Jamie Keefe secured his 1,000 career win with a 6-1 win against the Lancaster Barnstormers on Wednesday night at Truist Point. Dai-Kang Yang drove in three runs to lead the Rockers to victory and complete a three-game sweep of the Barnstormers. 

In his 21st season as a manager Keefe has reached a new milestone in his career with 1,000 wins. The win came after the Rockers came from behind for the third straight game after trailing 1-0, until Yang hit a two-run RBI single to bring in Zander Wiel and Beau Taylor to put the Rockers up 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Yang then hit a sacrifice fly to give the Rockers a 6-1 advantage in the eighth.

Rockers starter Sam Burton pitched five innings and held the Barnstormers to just one run, five hits and two walks. 

The Barnstormers took the first lead of the game with one run in the top of the first after an RBI single from Andretty Cordero to bring around Melvin Mercedes who received a leadoff walk. Jacob Lemoine (L, 1-2) was the starting pitcher for Lancaster giving up three runs, three hits and five walks. 

Taylor Guerrieri (W 1-1) came in to pitch for the Rockers in the top of the sixth, and did not allow a hit while yieldingjust one walk.

The Rockers offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth. High Point tied it at 1-1 after a costly balk from Lemoine which was followed up by a ground rule double from Wiel. A Yang single scored Wiel and Aklinski to put the Rockers ahead 3-1.

Kyle Barraclaugh then came on to pitch for the Rockers in the top of the seventh charged with holding the 3-1 lead. He struck three in his two innings and pitched out of a jam in the eighth when the ‘Stormers had runners on second and third with one out.

The Rockers then tacked on three more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth after Aklinski reached on after an error by Lancaster third basemen Trace Loehr. Taylor singled to put two aboard  before Ryan Grotjohn cleared the bases with a triple to right. A sacrifice fly from Yang then plated Grotjohn in to expand the lead to 6-1. Ryan Dull struck out the side in the ninth to secure Keefe’s 1,000^th win.

The Rockers are now 19-6 on the season and hold a one game lead over Gastonia (17-6) in the Atlantic League’s South Division.

High Point will have Thursday off and then will start a three- game series at Frederick on Friday at 6:35 p.m. Rockers fans can follow the team on the road on the Mixlr audio app with a live video stream at Flosports.com.

Long Island 6, Staten Island 4

(Staten Island, N.Y., May 24, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 6-4 on Wednesday evening in the second of a three-game midweek series at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park. 

The Ducks took an immediate 1-0 advantage against Staten Island starting pitcher Ivan Pineyro just two hitters into the contest courtesy of a one-out solo home run to left field by Adeiny Hechavarria. Long Island flexed their muscles once again in the second as Dustin Woodcock cracked a two-out home run with the bases empty to straightaway center field for a 2-0 cushion. The visitors made it 3-0 in their favor one inning later as Sam Travis plated Boog Powell with a sacrifice fly.

Staten Island sent eight men to the plate versus Long Island starting pitcher Wladimir Pinto and reliever Chris Cepeda and scored four times to take their first lead of the ballgame 4-3 by way of a wild pitch, run-scoring singles from Cristian Santana and Mikey Edelman, and an RBI fielder’s choice by Jack Elliott. The Flock tied the game at four in the sixth courtesy of a run-scoring base knock from Powell, and one inning later took a 5-4 advantage thanks to Brian Goodwin’s first run batted in as a member of the Ducks as he plated Travis with a single to right. Goodwin was at it again in the seventh showing patience at the plate, drawing a walk with the vases loaded that allowed Hechavarria to score and give the game its final score of 6-4.

Neither starting pitcher factored in the game’s final outcome, with Pinto allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits over three and one-third innings pitched, walking two and striking out four, while Pineyro surrendered three runs on five hits (two home runs) in five innings of work, walking three and striking out one. Jose Jose (3-0) picked up the win in relief retiring all three batters he faced, striking out two in the process. Christian Allegretti (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up two runs on four hits in one and two-thirds innings on the mound. Kevin Quackenbush fired a scoreless ninth frame while striking out one for his team-leading sixth save of the season. 

Travis led the offensive attack with three hits, including two doubles, a sacrifice fly, and a run scored. 

The Ducks and FerryHawks wrap up their three-game set on Thursday morning. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park. Fans can follow all the action live on Flo Baseball by CLICKING HERE. Left-hander Stephen Tarpley (1-0, 2.20) toes the rubber for Long Island against Staten Island right-hander Christian Capuano (3-0, 0.40).

Gastonia 8, Frederick 5

Gastonia had the top of the batting order coming to the plate in the eighth, just surrendering a 3-2 lead the half-inning prior.

Frederick had taken a 5-3 lead and was six defensive outs away from evening the three-game series.

The first six batters of the Honey Hunters lineup reached base, with five of them scoring on four hits.

The Honey Hunters used this five-run eighth, which included the second home run of the game for both J.C. Escarra and Zach Jarrett, to come back and beat the Question Marks 8-5.

Escarra homered in his first at-bat when facing Frederick starter David Kubiak. He hit a long drive to straight-away right field.

The home run gave Gastonia an early 1-0 lead, which it held through three frames.

Frederick responded in the bottom of the fourth after Honey Hunters starter Zack Godley retired the first 10 batters he faced.

Starlin Castro, who was making his Question Marks debut exactly a month after the team officially signed him, singled off Godley to become the first batter to reach base for Frederick.

Craig Dedelow then hit a two-run dinger to dead center field, giving his team a 2-1 lead with his 10th shot of the year.

Kubiak was cruising through 5.1 innings, retiring 10 of the last 11 batters he had faced.

The 12th batter he faced was Zach Jarrett.

And Jarrett hit a ball 418 feet to left, dropping his bat and staring at the ball as it sailed over the wall.

When it landed, the game was tied at two.

After Gastonia scored on a wild pitch thrown by Jack Weinberger, Frederick tied the game and started a seventh-inning rally by loading the bases with nobody out against Godley.

Godley got Scott Kelly to fly out to shallow right field for the first out.

He struck out Luke Becker, Godley’s eighth K of the day.

Now it was Godley against Castro, who looked to do damage in his first start.

Castro worked the count to 3-1, got a pitch in the zone and hit it into shallow center field – just out of the reach of a diving Jarrett. The hit scored a pair of runs and gave Frederick a 5-3 lead after seven.

Reliever Jeff Johnson came in for the Question Marks in the eighth.

He faced three batters. He didn’t record an out.

Jack Reinheimer walked before Escarra and Jarrett went back-to-back to give the Honey Hunters a 6-5 lead.

Escarra now has seven longballs and has driven in 25, while Jarrett still leads the team with 10 homers and has 23 RBIs.

Left-hander Brady Feigl then came on in relief of Johnson, but Gastonia wasn’t done with its rally.

Carlos Franco walked, extending his on-base streak to 17 games, and then Curtis Terry and Steven Sensley both hit singles.

Sensley’s base hit plated Franco, and then Luis Curbelo hit into a double play that scored Terry and capped off the five-run frame.

Gastonia led 8-5, and the team handed the ball to two extremely reliable relievers: Tyler Thomas and Jaime Schultz.

Each pitched scoreless innings, with Schultz picking up his league-leading seventh save in as many opportunities.

The Honey Hunters improved to 17-6 overall and 8-0 against the Question Marks.

Gastonia will try to sweep Frederick for a third time on Thursday. First pitch is at 11 a.m.

Lexington 7, Charleston 6

CHARLESTON, Wv. - The Lexington Counter Clocks would defeat the Charleston Dirty Birds with a score of 7-6. The win for the Clocks would be their first since the start of an eight-game losing streak.

Right-Handed Pitcher Dakota Mekkes would be awarded with the win advancing his individual record to 1-1. Mekkes pitched one inning without giving up any hits and posting three strikeouts for Lexington. Garrett Schilling would close out the game for the Clocks with two strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Clocks would fall behind early in the bottom of the first inning on a three-run homerun hit by the Dirty Bird’s Bobby Bradley. Bradley leads Charleston in homeruns with the shot to right center field being his 11th on the season.

In the top of the third inning the Counter Clocks would start to chip away at Charleston’s three run lead. The Clock’s Ronnie Dawson would make it to first base on a throwing error committed by second baseman Luis Atiles. The error would allow Brandt Broussard to score, putting the Clocks on the board with their first run of the game.

Charleston would score in the third inning as well on a line drive to the Clock’s left fielder Hector Roa. The hit documented for Diego Goris would be a single. Bobby Bradley would make it home again for the Dirty Birds on the play increasing their lead back to three runs.

In the top of the sixth inning Ronnie Dawson would put some more numbers up for the Clocks on a homerun to right center field. The solo-shot for Dawson was his fifth homerun run of the year and would close the gap between the teams to two runs at a score of 2-4.

Lexington would have an outstanding seventh inning bringing home 5 Counter Clock Runners in total. It started with a Hector Roa ground ball to left field. The ground ball would score Mississippi native Thomas Dillard narrowing Charleston’s led to one run.

Ronnie Dawson would contribute to the Clock’s yet again on a ground ball to right fielder Dwight Smith Jr. Dawson’s ground ball would score Logan Brown and Hector Roa putting Lexington up with a score of 5-4. Pete Yorgen advanced to scoring position but would be held at third base.

After a wild pitch thrown by Joe Testa, Yorgen would make it home putting the Clock’s up by two runs. Dawson made it to third base as well on the play. Connor Owings would single on a ground ball to third base, scoring Dawson and advancing the score to 7-4 in favor of Lexington.

The Dirty Birds would attempt to make a comeback with a Yefri Perez homerun to right center field. The two-run shot would be Perez’s first on the year for the Birds and narrowed the Clock’s led to one run going into the ninth inning.

However, neither team would score for the remainder of the game in Charleston, leaving the score at 7-6 in favor of Lexington.