Southern Maryland 7, York 1

(June 2, 2022 – York, Pa.):  Elmer Reyes spotted the York Revolution an early lead but Southern Maryland lefty Mitch Lambson struck out 13 in a complete game effort as the Revs dropped the series rubber match, 7-1 on Thursday evening at PeoplesBank Park.

Rain tried to mess with Thursday’s game, but after a 38-minute delay, the two teams were able to get underway. Lambson’s gem on the mound and a big seventh inning propelled the Blue Crabs to the series victory.

York scored first for the third straight game on Reyes’ first inning longball over the Arch Nemesis to open the scoring with a 1-0 lead. It was the third home run of the season for the Revs shortstop.

The Revs looked like they could threaten for more in the second against Lambson. York loaded the bases after singles by Carlos Franco and JC Encarnacion and a walk to Connor Lien, but Lambson set down the next three via a pair of strikeouts and a tapper back to the mound. 

Southern Maryland took the lead in the fourth inning on Joe DeLuca’s two-run single to right field, scoring Jared Walker and Alex Crosby who had both reached with one out. DeLuca’s single brought his RBI total to 11 in just nine games played since returning to the Blue Crabs from the Cincinnati Reds organization. 

After a quiet first six innings offensively from both sides, things unraveled against the Revs in the top of the seventh. Michael Wielansky got the scoring started with a two-run single to center, his first hit since being acquired by the Blue Crabs on Tuesday in a trade from Long Island. Two batters later, Walker drove a long single off the right field wall, missing a grand slam by a matter of feet, plating two more. Crosby capped the five-run frame with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field.  It was the biggest inning allowed by the Revs pitching staff in exactly three weeks, since a five-run inning allowed at Staten Island on May 12.

York starter Jorge Martinez exited in the seventh inning, closing his day after 6.1, striking out four but allowing season-highs with five runs and four walks. The righty exited trailing 2-1 before three of his runners scored following his departure.

York had been held hitless since the second inning by Lambson until Encarnacion led off the seventh inning with a base hit off of Lambson’s foot. York had runners in scoring position with two outs thanks to a Yefri Perez double, but both were left stranded. 

Lambson returned for the ninth inning having already thrown 113 pitches on the night. After allowing a one-out single to Encarnacion (3-for-4), Lambson got Lien looking for his 13th strikeout. That tied the most by an opposing starter against the Revs in team history as he became the fifth starter to do so and first since Somerset’s David Kubiak in June 2019. It also tied the most strike outs in a game by any Atantic League pitcher this season.

Lambson completed the game on a fielder’s choice grounder to third on his 131st pitch of the night, finishing his second nine-inning complete game of the year and becoming the first Atlantic League pitcher this season to log multiple complete games.

The Revs will welcome the Wild Health Genomes to PeoplesBank Park for the first time on Friday to kick off a three-game series on Pride in the Park Night presented by UPMC. The night includes a Pride Jersey Auction presented by JLS Automation to benefit Rainbow Rose Center.  It is also a Fiesta Friday.  First pitch from scheduled Revs starter Duke von Schamann is set for 6:30 p.m.  Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.

Lancaster 7, Staten Island 3
Staten Island 4, Lancaster 3 (11 inn)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Mariel Bautista’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11^th inning gave the Staten Island Ferryhawks a 4-3 victory in the second game of a doubleheader at SIUH Community Park on Thursday evening.

The game went four extra innings, the most in a Barnstormers game since the courtesy runner at second rule was adopted in 2019.

The Barnstormers had taken the opener, 7-3, behind an early offensive surge. 

Angel Aguilar opened the 11^th at second base and was moved to third on a sacrifice by Brandon Wagner.  Lancaster walked John Nester and Ricardo Cespedes intentionally to load the bases for the chance at a double play.  Bautista sent a pitch from Cole Aker (0-1) to deep enough left so BJ Boyd could not get off a throw.

Each team missed the first two opportunities to score the courtesy runner.  Lancaster finally broke through in the top of the tenth when Kelly Dugan launched a double to deep right center with one out off Victor Capellan (2-2) to score Boyd from third.  Two strong defensive plays kept the Barnstormers from scoring the additional run, and Staten Island was able to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

Colton Shaver gunned down Javier Betancourt at third on Alfredo Reyes’ bunt to open the bottom of the 11^th.  Reyes stole second and remained there as Joseph Monge became Josh Graham’s fourth strikeout in his three-inning stint.  With two outs, Ben Ruta crept a seeing-eye grounder through the right side to score Reyes.

Dugan had singled home Boyd in the top of the first to give Lancaster the lead.  Bautista countered that with an RBI base hit to produce an unearned run in the home second and Cespedes gave the Ferryhawks a lead with a drag squeeze bunt single in the fourth. 

Lancaster scored the tying run in the fifth after catcher’s interference kept the inning alive when Reyes failed to handle Shaver’s smash into the hole at shortstop, allowing Devon Torrence to score.

In the opener, Lancaster bolted out to a 7-1 lead through the first three innings.  Dugan gave Lancaster a 1-0 lead with an RBI double to right, following singles by Boyd and LeDarious Clark.  Shaver stroked a grounder to third.  Staten Island caught Clark in a rundown off third but Aguilar dropped a throw along a run to score.  Andretty Cordero singled home Dugan for a 3-0 lead, and Trace Loehr produced the fourth run with a sacrifice fly against Eric Marinez (0-1).

Aguilar homered in the bottom of the inning off Oscar De La Cruz (2-0), but the Barnstormers pulled away with two in the second and one in the third on a Cordero homer to right.

De La Cruz worked six, allowing two hits and two runs.  He gave way to Donald Goodson for the seventh.

The Barnstormers return home to take on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Friday at 6:30.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, starting at 6:25.

NOTES:  The doubleheader absorbed six hours, three minutes of playing time…Boyd has hit safely in 13 of 14…Dugan drove in four runs in the doubleheader and has 37 on the season…Clark stole his 10^th and 11^th bases of the season and now has 10 in the last 19 days...Lancaster’s relievers struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings.

Long Island 5, Gastonia 0

Gastonia, N.C., June 2, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Gastonia Honey Hunters 5-0 on Thursday evening in the finale of a three-game midweek series at CaroMont Health Park.

Long Island took a 2-0 advantage in the second inning on back-to-back two-out run-scoring singles produced by Austin Rei and Joe DeCarlo off Gastonia starter John Anderson. Rei was at it again in the fifth as the Ducks catcher plated L.J. Mazzilli with a double into the left field corner which made it 3-0 in favor of the visitors after Mazzilli tallied a two-base hit of his own earlier in the frame. 

The Flock closed out the scoring in the sixth with a pair of runs to give the game its final of 5-0 thanks to a sacrifice fly off the bat of Johnni Turbo that plated Dustin Woodcock and an RBI ground-rule double from Alejandro De Aza that enabled Deven Marrero to cross the plate as De Aza finished the series with eight runs batted in. Akeel Morris (1-4) won his first game of the season as the right-hander fired six scoreless innings on just five hits allowed, striking out six in the process. Anderson (3-4) was tagged with the loss, surrendering five runs on 12 hits across five and one-third innings on the mound, walking three and striking out five. 

Mazzilli led the way with three hits in the ballgame, with De Aza, Rei, Woodcock, and DeCarlo tallying a pair of hits apiece as Long Island won their fourth consecutive game on the road en route to the sweep. 

Long Island returns home on Friday, June 3, to begin a three-game series with the Staten Island FerryHawks. 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 an Angela’s Pizza Friday! A player on the FerryHawks will be designated as the K-Man, and if he strikes out during the game, all fans can show their game ticket to receive six zeppoles with the purchase of a pie throughout the rest of the weekend at Angela’s Pizzeria of Islip. Right-Hander Joe Iorio (4-0, 2.81) gets the start for the Ducks against FerryHawks right Matt Solter (0-3, 1.93).

High Point 7, Charleston 5

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers completed a three-game sweep of the Charleston Dirty Birds on Thursday, posting a 7-5 decision at Truist Point. The Rockers have now won three straight and 13 of their last 14 games to improve to 28-9 in the season.

High Point’s lead in the Atlantic League’s South Division is now at four games after Gastonia’s 5-0 loss at home to Long Island on Thursday night dropped the Honey Hunters to 24-13.

The Rockers hit five doubles as part of their 12-hit attack with Jerry Downs driving in a pair of runs and Chris Proctor using his two doubles to account for three RBI.

High Point scored twice in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Michael Russell led off with a single and Ben Aklinski and Downs hit consecutive doubles with Downs picking up both RBI. High Point extended its lead to 5-0 in the third when Proctor clubbed a two-run double and Giovanny Alfonzo knocked in a run with a single.

Charleston scored twice in the fourth on Engel Beltre’s solo homer and a sac fly from Scott Kelly. The Dirty Birds made it a 5-4 game with two more runs in the fourth, using an RBI double from Nick Longhi and scoring a run on a wild pitch.

Trailing 5-4 in the sixth, Charleston tied the game when Kelly doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Rocker error to knot the game at 5-5. But that would be the last run Charleston would score.

High Point won the game with a pair of runs in the seventh. Michael Martinez led off with a single and moved to second on a walk to Liam Scafariello. A pair of wild pitches would bring Martinez around to score and break the tie. Proctor’s second double of the night scored Scafariello to put High Point ahead 7-5.

High Point starter Gavin Heltemes was the second consecutive Rocker starting pitcher to make his professional debut, following in the footsteps of Colt Webb on Wednesday. Heltemes, a former Georgia Gwinnett hurler, signed with the Rockers Thursday afternoon and was handed the starting assignment vs. the Dirty Birds. He pitched 4.1 innings and allowed nine hits, four runs and struck out two but did not factor into the decision. John Hayes (2-0) pitched two innings and allowed one run on one hit in earning the win. Nathan Bates pitched a scoreless eighth and Chasen Bradford earned his sixth save of the year.

The Rockers will now prepare for a three-game visit from the Gastonia Honey Hunter in what will be a preview of the South Division playoff race. The Rockers enter the series with a four-game game lead over the second place Honey Hunters.

NOTES: Thursday’s game marked the final game of Charleston’s nine games at Truist Point this season . . . The Rockers have three more series at Charleston . . . The Rockers open a three-game home series with Gastonia on Friday at 6:35 p.m. . . . It will be the first of 17 games at Truist Point between the Rockers and Honey Hunters . . . High Point will also play 17 games in Gastonia, the first scheduled for Friday, June 10.

Kentucky 11, Lexington 9
Kentucky 9, Lexington 1