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Southern Maryland 3, Staten Island 2
Southern Maryland 4, Staten Island 3

(June 15, 2022, Waldorf, MD) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs swept the double-header over the Staten FerryHawks tonight, notching their fourth consecutive win.  The Blue Crabs turned to Eddie Butler in game one, who pitched six innings, allowing only two earned runs.  

In the first game of the double-header, the Blue Crabs started the scoring in the first inning. Sundberg roped a line drive into left-center field, advancing to second base.  Two batters later, Jared Walker blasted a line drive down the first-base line, scoring Sundberg to put the Blue Crabs ahead 1-0. 

In the third inning, Staten Island responded.  The FerryHawks picked up a pair of singles with one out before Javier Betancourt hit a sac fly, scoring Joseph Monge.  The next batter, Angel Aguilar knocked a single into center, scoring Duplantis to give the FerryHawks a 2-1 lead. 

The game remained 2-1 until the seventh inning.  In double-headers, both games are only seven innings.  Patrick Baker (W, 2-1) took over for Eddie Butler in the seventh and pitched a clean inning.  Chris Nunn (L, 0-3, BS, 2) struggled, as he issued a walk to Zach Collier to start the inning.  Three batters later, Joe Deluca smashed a two-run home run over the Mini Monster in left field, giving the Blue Crabs a walk-off 3-2 victory. 

In game two of the series, the Blue Crabs turned to Alex Merithew for the start.  Merithew pitched three innings, allowing one unearned run and two hits.  From there, Bradley Roney and Endrys Briceno dominated, but the FerryHawks pushed back in the seventh.  

Staten Island scored the first run of the game.   In the top of the first inning, Stephen Alemais was hit by a pitch.  He then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Joe DeLuca.  The next batter, Angel Aguilar drove him in on a sacrifice fly. 

The Blue Crabs got the bats going in the bottom of the first in game two.  Jack Sundberg hit a popup to the left field, landing just inside the left-field line and bouncing all the way to the corner, while Sundberg reached third.  The next batter, Michael Wielansky, bounced a single to center, tying the game at 1-1. 

In the bottom of the second, the Blue Crabs bats came through again. Zach Collier walked, and Braxton Lee knocked a base hit into right field, putting runners on the corners. After Braxton Lee stole second base, Jack Sundberg lifted a base hit into right-center, scoring Collier and Lee, giving the Blue Crabs a 3-1 lead. 

The game remained 3-1 until the seventh inning.  In the top of the seventh, Mat Latos, (W, 1-0, BS, 3) entered the game. Mariel Bautista slashed a double to the wall in left to get started in the inning.  Alfredo Reyes singled back up the middle, putting runners on the corners with no outs.  Alfredo Reyes then stole second, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Mat Latos struck out Yunior Santana before Joseph Monge grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Bautista and advancing Reyes to third.  The next batter, Bryan Gonzalez, drove in Reyes on a line drive to right-center, tying the game at 3. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Southern Maryland came through again. Eric Mariñez was on the mound for Staten Island and hit Braxton Lee with a pitch to start the inning.  Lee advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.  Michael Wielansky came through again for the Blue Crabs, as he bounced a single back up the middle, scoring Sundberg to give the Blue Crabs a 4-3 victory. 

With the wins, the Blue Crabs move to 37-12 and control a 13-game lead in the division.  The Blue Crabs have a “magic number” of six to clinch a playoff spot.  The Blue Crabs have also won four consecutive games and look for their fifth straight against Staten Island tomorrow at 6:35 pm. 

York 11, Lexington 0

(June 15, 2022 – Lexington, KY):  Nick Travieso fired seven shutout innings and the York Revolution offense blasted five homers including two by Carlos Franco in an 11-0 victory over the Lexington Legends on Wednesday afternoon at Wild Health Field.

Travieso (2-2) worked seven innings in his second start back from injury, limiting the Legends to just four hits and no walks while tying a season-high with seven strike outs.  He logged 97 pitches on a day where temperatures approached triple digits, as five of his seven innings were perfect.

Franco launched a towering solo homer to right-center in the top of the second to open the scoring and lined a two-run jack to left-center two innings later to make it 3-0.

Nellie Rodriguez crushed a three-run homer to left-center in the top of the fifth, doubling the lead to 6-0.

Troy Stokes Jr. lined a two-run homer to left-center in the sixth, and Yefri Perez went back-to-back on the next pitch, drilling a line drive homer down the left field line for his career-high-tying fourth of the year, all in his last 10 games played since June 1.

Franco closed the scoring by lacing a two-run double past a diving Courtney Hawkins in left field in the top of the eighth.

Duke von Schamann closed out the Revs’ second shutout win of the season, working the final two innings and stranding two in the ninth as Franco made an acrobatic grab on a liner at third to end it.

The win marks the first three-game winning streak of the season for the Revs who improve to 5-3 on their current road trip and 4-1 in Kentucky.  York has scored double-digits in all three wins on the streak, outscoring the opposition 34-9.

With the victory, Revs manager Mark Mason ties former Long Island skipper Kevin Baez for fifth on the Atlantic League’s all-time wins list with his 571st; his next will tie former Bridgeport manager Willie Upshaw for fourth on the list.

The 11-0 shutout win is the biggest by the Revs since an 11-0 victory on June 10, 2019 vs. High Point.  It marks the ninth time in club history the Revs have shut out an opponent while scoring 11 or more.

The offense’s five homers mark the most in a game since the 2019 regular season finale, and the total comes within two of the franchise’s single-game record.  It is tied for the fourth-highest single-game total in club history and marks just the eighth time the Revs have blasted five or more homers in one contest.

Franco enjoyed the biggest day, going 4-for-5 with two homers, two doubles, and five RBI.  He pulls into a three-way tie for the league lead with 17 homers and takes over the league lead with 54 RBI on the season, tying Telvin Nash’s Revs first half record set in 2019.  He also tied and surpassed Jason Aspito for seventh on the Revs’ franchise home run list, now with 43 in his York career.  The multi-homer game was his fourth of the season, already tying a franchise season record shared by Chris Nowak and Isaias Tejeda.  His four extra-base hits tie a Revs single-game record that he matched on May 31 vs. Southern Maryland, an accomplishment previously only met by Tejeda in 2017.  His 12 total bases fell one shy of a club single-game mark.  Franco is now batting .470 (31-for-66) in 16 games since May 28 and has mashed 10 homers with 28 RBI in 15 games since May 29.

The Revs will go for the sweep with lefty Austin Nicely starting Thursday’s finale at 6:35 p.m.  

High Point 3, Long Island 0
 

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Logan Morrison hit a two-run double and rookie lefthander Jonah Scolaro tossed five innings of two-hit baseball as the High Point Rockers shutout the Long Island Ducks 3-0 on Wednesday night at Truist Point.

The win broke a club-record 10-game losing streak and leaves the Rockers with a 29-19 record. With Gastonia winning on Wednesday, the Rockers remain four games behind the South Division-leading Honey Hunters in the race for the first half Atlantic League pennant and playoff spot.

“The kid (Scolaro) came in and was lights out. He attacked the zone all night and was dominant over five innings. It doesn’t get any better than that,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe of Scolaro’s first start. “He moved the ball in and out, up and down. He kept the hitters off balance all night.”

Scolaro signed with the Rockers earlier in the day after having pitched at Florida State. The Tampa native was primarily a reliever with the Seminoles and last pitched when he drew a start in the NCAA Regional at Auburn against UCLA. His first professional start on Wednesday could not have gone much better. He went five innings, allowed just two hits, walked three at struck out four and earned his first professional win.

Scolaro was a breath of fresh air to a starting rotation that has had the contracts of its top three starter purchased by affiliated clubs or the Mexican League, and has had a fourth, Cooper Casad, on the injured list since the first month of the season.

Scolaro yielded a walk and a hit in the first inning but was able to strand both runners. The Rockers broke the ice in the bottom of the first when Jerry Downs punched a two-out single and Zander Wiel drew a walk. Logan Morrison sliced a double down the leftfield line that scored both runners and gave High Point a 2-0 lead.

Scolaro set the Ducks down in order in the second and third, recording three strikeouts. He gave up a two-out walk in the fourth but escaped unharmed. Scolaro allowed a lead-off hit in the fifth that was immediately followed by a 6-4-3 double play.

The Rockers added a run in the fourth when Morrison walked, went to third on a Michael Martinez single and scored on a sac fly to center by Johnny Field.

Bryce Hensley threw two shutout innings, setting the Ducks down in order in the sixth and allowing a scratch single in the seventh. Ryan Dull pitched a scoreless eighth and Chasen Bradford earned his seventh save of the year by retiring the Ducks in the ninth.

Scolaro was non-plussed by his first post-collegiate outing.

“It’s still the same game. I just wanted to go out set the tone and compete. Let the guys play behind me and let the defense do its job.”

Morrison and Martinez each finished the night with a pair of hits as the Rockers managed six hits on the evening while Long Island had five safeties, all singles.

Joe Iorio (5-1) took the loss despite pitching seven innings of three-run ball, yielding six hits and two walks while striking out six and throwing 119 pitches.

The Rockers and Ducks will face-off in the third game of the series on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. High Point will send righty Craig Stem to the mound while the Ducks will counter with lefty Stephen Tarpley.

Kentucky 7, Lancaster 2

For the Wild Health Genomes on Wednesday evening, it was literally a case of hit or miss.

The Genomes reached Lancaster starter Cam Gann for eight hits and six runs in six innings, but otherwise the Barnstormers’ right-hander fanned 12, a new season high for the club.  Only five Wild Health batters put the ball in play against Gann without reaching successfully.

Luke Becker opened the game with a ground single up the middle off Gann (4-4).  Teodoro Martinez rolled a slow ground ball to second baseman Melvin Mercedes.  Mercedes swept a tag toward Becker and missed, then bounced a throw that eluded first baseman Dennicher Carrasco with Becker taking third.  Jimmy Paredes crept a single through the right side to plate the first run.

Gann picked up the first two of his strikeouts, but Samir Duenez and Carlos Castro produced consecutive RBI singles for a 3-0 lead.

Moises Sierra stretched the lead to 5-0 with a two-run homer to left center in the third, and Castro tacked on a solo blast in the fourth.  All while Gann was in a stretch were eight straight outs came on strikes.

Dustin Beggs (4-3) carried a shutout into the sixth inning before surrendering a pair of unearned runs.  Andretty Cordero reached on a throwing error by Paredes.  LeDarious Clark’s third single of the night sent Cordero to third.  Clark stole second before Colton Shaver’s ground out to third got Lancaster on the board.  One out later, Trace Loehr beat out a slow roller to short with Clark sprinting home with the second run.

Demetrius Moorer capped the scoring with a two-out solo homer in the eighth.

The rubber game of the series will be played at 11:00 AM on Thursday.  Nile Ball (2-3) will make the start for Lancaster against right-hander Max Povse (4-4) of the Genomes.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 10:55.

NOTES:  Becker’s four-hit game was the first against the Barnstormers this season…Shaver doubled in the eighth for Lancaster’s only extra base hit of the game…It was his fifth double in four games and ninth in the last 11…Clark has 18 steals in the last 27 games to pull within two of league leader Reece Hampton of Gastonia.

Gastonia 14, Charleston 7

GASTONIA, N.C. - The Gastonia Honey Hunters jumped out to 6-0 lead after one  inning and cruised to a 14-7 win over Charleston on Wednesday night at Caromont Health Park.

Gastonia (33-15) collected 15 hits in the game, as every starter garnered a safety in the contest. Reece Hampton led the charge on the strength of a four-hit night. In addition, Hampton picked up a pair of RBI, while Zach Jarrett collected three hits in the game, including a pair of doubles and four RBI.

John Anderson earned the win for Gastonia to move his record to 5-4 on the year. Ryan Lawlor took the loss for Charleston(20-28) to fall to 3-2 this season.

The Honey Hunters swiped four bags in the contest to surpass the one hundred stolen base mark in just 48 games.

Other offensive items of note for the game: Herlis Rodriguez moved his hitting streak to 11 games in a row with a single on three at-bats. The base hit ups his average to .275 on the campaign.

Luis Castro hit his fourth homer of the season, his second in consecutive weeks against the Dirty Birds.  

The Honey Hunters conclude the series tomorrow against Charleston at Caromont Health Park on Thursday, before embarking on a weekend trip to Lexington to take on the Legends for the first time in 2022. First pitch is set for 6:15