Gastonia 9, High Point 5

GASTONIA, N.C. - The Gastonia Honey Hunters completed a three game sweep of the High Point Rockers with a 9-5  win at Caromont Health Park on Sunday evening.

Gastonia took advantage of a big night at the plate from Herlis Rodriguez and Jaylwen Smith.

Rodriguez went 3 for 5 in the contest while driving home two runs. The three hit game for Rodriguez has become part of a ten-game hitting streak over the last two weeks.

In the month of June, Rodriguez has had four multi-hit games out of the first eleven, moving his batting average up 71 points in that span. In the month of June, Rodriguez is batting .349 (15-43).

Jaylen Smith´s three hit night comes on his first start of the year for Gastonia. Smith scored twice in the game to go with two RBI.

Emmanuel Tapia collected two hits in the game, including a double and his fourth homer of the year in the sixth inning off Gavin Weyman. Tapia scored twice in the game and drove in a pair of runs to aid the cause.

On the mound, Reilly Hovis went five innings to pick up his third win of the season. Colt Webb took the loss for High Point to go to 1-2 on the year.

The win for Gastonia (32-14) gives them six straight wins to open their head-to-head match up against the Rockers and expands the Honey Hunters lead over High Point (28-18) by four games. High Point has lost nine straight, a franchise record for the club.

Also of note, Gastonia has won 8 of their last 9 since being swept for the first time this season against the Long Island Ducks.

The Honey Hunters have tomorrow off before welcoming Charleston to Caromont Health Park on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6:15

York 10, Kentucky 2

(June 12, 2022 – Lexington, KY):  Nellie Rodriguez celebrated his 28th birthday by slamming one of three home runs and Jorge Martinez tossed seven strong innings as the York Revolution capped a series win over the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes with a 10-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Wild Health Field.

Lenin Rodriguez opened the scoring with a solo homer to left-center, his third of the year, to give the Revs a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.

Martinez retired eight straight before Anderson Miller connected on an opposite field solo homer down the left field line in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game at 1-1.

The Revs responded right away, ripping off five runs in a bat-around sixth.  Melky Mesa reached on a throwing error by third baseman Jimmy Paredes to start the inning and Nellie Rodriguez walked.  Carlos Franco blooped an RBI single to left for a 2-1 lead, and Connor Lien followed by whacking an RBI base hit to left.  Lenin Rodriguez ripped a grounder past Paredes at third for another error, allowing Franco to score from second along with Lien who trucked all the way from first base to also score, extending the lead to 5-1.  Troy Stokes Jr. capped the outburst with an RBI single to left, growing the lead to 6-1.

Nellie Rodriguez drilled a two-run homer to right in the top of the seventh, punctuating his birthday performance as the Revs led 8-1.

Martinez retired 13 of 14 through the end of the sixth before the Genomes got to him for a run in the seventh on a Cleuluis Rondon single up the middle.  The Genomes could only manage two runs against Martinez (3-4) who tied his season-high with seven innings, as he walked just one and struck out eight on the day.

Lien belted a line drive two-run homer to left in the top of the ninth providing the final scoring for the Revs.

Jhoendri Herrera worked around three walks for a scoreless eighth in his league-leading 23rd appearance out of the Revs bullpen, and Nick Howard closed the victory with a ground out and two strike outs in a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Revs out-hit the Genomes 13-7, and after being held to just one run on two hits through the first five innings, accumulated nine runs on 11 hits over the final four innings of play.

York is back in action on Tuesday night against the Lexington Legends at Wild Health Field with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. 

Long Island 3, Staten Island 2

(Staten Island, N.Y., June 12, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in the final game of a three-game series at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.

Both teams exchanged zeroes until the top of the seventh when Long Island scored a run. Deven Marrero went to third base on a flyout by Dustin Woodcock and scored on an error by Alfredo Reyes. Staten Island answered in the bottom of the frame with a pinch hit two-run single to left by Joseph Monge to go in front 2-1. Long Island reclaimed the lead for good in the eighth on a two-out, two-run home run to left field by Austin Rei.

Neither starter factored into the decision. Anderson DeLeon tossed six innings of two-run ball (one earned) for Long Island, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out eight. Nick Carell lasted five innings, yielding no runs on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Kai-Wei Lin (1-1) picked up the win despite giving up two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Williams Ramirez (0-1) took the loss, conceding two runs on two hits in one inning. Sandy Baez picked up his fifth save with a scoreless ninth, working around a hit and two walks.

Deibinson Romero and Johnni Turbo each ha two hits to lead the Flock offensively.

The Ducks continue their road trip on Tuesday night when they open a three-game series with the High Point Rockers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. Fans can follow all the action on the Long Island Ducks Broadcast Network. Live streaming HD video and audio will be available via BoxCast on LIDucks.com as well as on the Ducks official Facebook page and YouTube channel. Right-hander Akeel Morris (1-4, 6.07) gets the start for the Ducks against a Rockers starter to be determined.

Long Island returns home on Friday, June 17, to begin a three-game set with the Wild Health Genomes. 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). The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Beach Towels, courtesy of Enzo. It’s also an Angela’s Pizza Friday! A player on the Genomes will be designated as the K-Man, and if he strikes out during the game, all fans can show their game ticket to receive a special offer throughout the rest of the weekend at Angela’s Pizzeria of Islip. 

Lexington 11, Lancaster 9

The Lancaster Barnstormers had a chance to set up Melvin Mercedes to make history.

Mercedes was on deck, a home run away from the cycle and a fan winning $25,000 on Sunday afternoon when Devon Torrence was caught stealing for the final out as the Lexington Legends held on for a wild, 11-9 win at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Torrence had drawn a two-out walk from closer Austin Adams to bring Shawon Dunston, Jr. to the plate as the tying run.  He took off on Adams’ 0-1 pitch and was gunned down by catcher Pete Yorgen for the final out and Adams’ eighth save.

Had Dunston reached, Mercedes, who had a triple, two doubles and a single, could have written history by being the first Barnstormer to hit for the cycle after being chosen in the promotion sponsored by Gochnauer’s Appliances.  He never got that opportunity.

Lancaster took an 8-7 lead into the top of the seventh inning.  Chase Johnson (1-5) allowed consecutive singles to Manuel Geraldo and Yorgen to start the inning.  Skylar Mercado laid a bunt down.  Johnson opted to throw to third, but his toss bounced past Andretty Cordero, allowing the tying run to score.  T.K. Koontz put Lexington ahead with a bunt single to the right side.  Koontz was thrown out stealing for the first out, but Johnson walked Jarel McDade before leaving.

Bret Clarke entered and struck out Phillip Ervin.  Lancaster opted to walk Courtney Hawkins intentionally to load the bases, but the plan was thwarted when Clarke walked Isaias Tejeda to follow.  The first pitch to Montrell Marshall got away for a passed ball and an 11-8 lead.

Lancaster picked up one run in the bottom of the eighth on Mercedes’ triple and a ground out by Kelly Dugan.  With two outs, LeDarious Clark beat out a chopper to third.  Jake Hoover scorched a liner off the glove of Marshall at third.  Geraldo, the shortstop backed up the play near the bullpen bench and cut down Clark trying to score on the double.

Hawkins homered, doubled and drove in three as the Legends built a 6-1 lead over 1 ½ innings.  Anthony Peroni clubbed his first career homer at Clipper Magazine Stadium to bring the ‘Stormers within two in the second.  Cordero keyed a two-run fourth with a triple off the wall in right center that cut the lead to 6-5, and, after three Lexington singles rebuilt a two-run lead in the top of the fifth, Mercedes tied the score with a two-run double off reliever Winston Lavendier (3-2) in the bottom of the inning.

Clark was driven home from third on a ground out by pinch hitter Trayvon Robinson in the bottom of the sixth for Lancaster’s only lead of the game.

Lancaster will host the other team from Lexington, the Wild Health Genomes, beginning on Tuesday with Augie Sylk (2-5) on the mound.  Fans may watch on Blue Ridge 11 or the Barnstormers YouTube Channel.

NOTES:  Cordero’s triple extended his hitting streak to 12…The Barnstormers had 23 extra base hits, including six triples, in the series…Peroni’s only other Atlantic League homer was hit at Southern Maryland, exactly one year earlier…Dugan’s RBI was his 50^th; Cordero’s was his 40^th…Clark has 15 steals…The bottom four in the Lexington lineup combined for nine hits.

Southern Maryland 15, Charleston 5

(June 12, 2022, Charleston, WV) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs scored in six different innings tonight, as they tallied 15 runs on 19 hits in a 15-5 victory over the Charleston Dirty Birds.  Denson Hull pitched four and two-thirds, allowing only two hits, but five runs.  The bullpen dominated from there, allowing one hit and no runs across four and one-third innings.

The Blue Crabs’ bats clicked immediately against Jordan Stephens (L, 1-4).  Michael Wielansky started the rally with a base hit to center, before Jared Walker ripped a hit into left field.  David Harris then lifted a base hit to center scoring Wielansky.  Zach Collier then bounced a single to left, scoring Walker to give the Blue Crabs a 2-0 lead.  Southern Maryland added a run when Braxton Lee drove a single into center, plating Harris to go ahead 3-0. 

In the second, Ian Yetsko was hit by a pitch and later advanced to second.  Michael Wielansky gave the Blue Crabs a 4-0 lead when knocked a single into center, scoring Wielansky. 

In the fourth inning, the Blue Crabs put together a two-out rally. Michael Wielansky walked, and Jared Walker looped a single toward left to put runners on the corners.  David Harris then roped a liner to the right-field wall, scoring Wielansky.  Two pitches later, Alex Crosby ripped a double to deep center, scoring Walker and Harris, giving the Blue Crabs a 7-0 lead.  The Blue Crabs added another run when Zach Collier blooped one to center, scoring Crosby to go ahead 8-0. 

The bats stayed hot in the fifth when the Blue Crabs scored three more runs.  The first four batters reached for Southern Maryland, and Jared Walker’s single scored Ian Yetsko.  David Harris then drove in Jack Sundberg on a sacrifice fly to left, giving the Blue Crabs a 10-0 lead.  Michael Wielansky scored when Zach Collier grounded into a fielder’s choice, extending the lead to 11-0. 

Charleston added five runs in the bottom of the fifth.  After two quick outs, six consecutive Dirty Birds reached base.  Angel Garced was walked with the bases loaded, scoring their first run.  The next batter, Anfernee Seymour doubled on a fly ball to left-center field, scoring three to cut the deficit to 11-4.  Seymour later scored on an RBI single from Juan Perez, making it an 11-5 game. 

The Blue Crabs scored two in the seventh on a two-run home run from Zach Collier, extending the lead to 13-5.  In the ninth, the Blue Crabs added home runs from Jared Walker and Zach Collier, giving the Blue Crabs a 15-5 lead. 

Southern Maryland’s bullpen was electric.  Bradley Roney (W, 2-0) pitched two and one-third perfect innings, striking out four.  Nick Wells pitched two innings, allowing only one hit and completing the 15-5 win. 

Southern Maryland moves to 34-12 with the win, and the Blue Crabs won their 13^th series of the year.  Southern Maryland maintains an 11.5-game lead in the North Division with 20 games remaining in the First Half.