Lancaster 4, Staten Island 3

The Lancaster Barnstormers continue to find ways to win.

 Jake Hoover singled home Ariel Sandoval with the decisive run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday evening as the ‘Stormers pulled out a 4-3 victory over the Staten Island Ferryhawks for the host club’s eighth straight win, tying a season high.

 Sandoval led off the inning with a sharp single up the middle off Connor Law (1-2), a ball that barely eluded a diving try by shortstop Alfredo Reyes.  Anthony Peroni followed with a single into right center that chased Sandoval to third.  Hoover cleared second baseman Dilson Herrera with his liner that won the game.

 For the second consecutive night, the Ferryhawks struck for two runs in the top of the first.  Nile Ball walked Antoine Duplantis and Angel Aguilar, two of the first three batters of the game.  Herrera grounded out on a slow roller toward third, then Christopher Cespedes beat out an even slower ground ball for an infield single and the 1-0 lead.  Aguilar then came home on a ground single up the middle by Ramon Osuna.

 Ball worked six more innings, facing just two batters over the minimum, without yielding another run.

 Lancaster forged into the lead in the bottom of the third.  Trace Loehr led off with a walk, and Trayvon Robinson, just inserted into the game, pulled a ground single through the hole.  Melvin Mercedes singled to center to score Loehr.  With Robinson at second and Mercedes at first, Andretty Cordero launched a deep fly to center that pushed Duplantis to the warning track.  Robinson tagged, then a split second later, so did Mercedes.  Staten Island made a play on Mercedes at second, just missing.  Robinson never slowed down and raced home with the tying run.

 One out later, Anderson Feliz drilled a single into right field for a 3-2 lead.

 Manager Ross Peeples turned the game over to his bullpen, but Josh Graham surrendered a home run to Duplantis with his second pitch, tying the game.  Graham retired the side in order after that.  West Tunnell (3-0) came on for the ninth and struck out the side to earn the win.

 The series will conclude Sunday at 5:00.  Lancaster will send RHP Cameron Gann (5-8) to the hill against RHP Francisco Carrillo (0-1, 0-4).  Fans may tune into Blue Ridge 11 or the Barnstormers YouTube channel for the first pitch.

 NOTES:  Lancaster again struck out 10 or more batters, the 38th time the staff has done it this season…The Barnstormers have gone four games without hitting a homer, the longest stretch by the team this season…Ball threw his seventh quality start, tying Oscar De La Cruz for the team lead…Lancaster’s other eight-game winning streak came July 6-14…Shawon Dunston, Jr. left the game early with a “mild strain.”…Hoover’s single extended his hitting streak to five…Cordero drove home his 85th run, moving him to within 18 of the club record.

High Point 8, Gastonia 4

Gastonia, NC- The High Point Rockers didn’t let the rain ruin their parade Saturday night, taking down the Gastonia Honey Hunters 8-4.

 Playing in conditions ranging from a drizzle to a steady rain beginning in the third inning and continuing to the game’s conclusion, the Rockers built an early 4-0 lead and never trailed.

 In the second inning with Zander Wiel on base, Tyler Ladendorf launched a home run over the left field wall off Reilly Hovis (L, 5-5) to give High Point a 2-0 advantage early. In the third inning, with Michael Russell at second base, Wiel stepped up to the plate and delivered a deep fly ball to center field. Jake Skole caught the ball at the fence, and Russell tagged up and went to third, only to catch the Honey Hunters napping and continued home, scoring from second base on the sacrifice fly.

 In the fifth inning, Jerry Downs launched a home run of his own, his fourth in the last five games, giving High Point a 4-0 advantage.

 Despite the Honey Hunters 23-6, 67-27) scoring twice off Neil Uskali in the last two innings of his evening, Uskali (W, 4-3) delivered a strong performance. He exited with two outs in the sixth inning, turning in 5.2 innings of two-run ball (only one run was earned) and matching a season-high in strikeouts with five.

 The Rockers would add RBI hits from Giovanny Alfonzo, Mike Gulino, and Russell before all was said and done, and Ryan Dull (S, 9) relieved Bryce Hensley in the ninth inning to earn the save.

 For High Point (10-19, 49-46), the win secured at least a split of the four-game weekend series, and was their fourth win in the last six games against the Honey Hunters.

 The series concludes tomorrow as the Rockers send Craig Stem (3-3, 3.49) to the mound to take on Gastonia’s Roger Bernal. In Bernal’s last start, he threw the first five innings of what became a combined no-hitter for Gastonia against Lexington. First pitch of tomorrow’s game is scheduled for 4:15 at CaroMont Health Park.

 NOTES: Gastonia’s Reece Hampton stole two bases, becoming the first player in the Atlantic League to  reach 50 steals in 2022…Jerry Downs recorded two hits, extending his hitting streak to 14 games.

Long Island 2, Southern Maryland 1 (Game One)
Southern Maryland 5, Long Island 1 (Game Two)

(Waldorf, Md., August 6, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks split a single admission doubleheader with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Saturday at Regency Furniture Stadium, taking game one 2-1 before dropping the nightcap 5-1.

 Vladimir Frias put the Ducks ahead in game one with a run-scoring single to right field in the top of the second inning off Blue Crabs starter Adrian Cook that plated Carlos Castro after he was hit by a pitch with two men away. The Blue Crabs tied the ballgame at one a half-inning later versus Long Island starter Ryan Meisinger courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Braxton Lee.

 The Flock went back out in front 2-1 in the third as Sam Travis drove home Phil Caulfield with an RBI base knock off the Mini Monster in left field for what proved to be the winning run.

 Meisinger (3-2) picked up the victory, giving up just one run three hits across five innings pitched, walking five and striking out four. Cook (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings of work, walking one while also striking out four. Jose Jose fired two scoreless frames out of the bullpen for his first save in a Ducks uniform. Caulfield and Frias led the way with a pair of hits each.

 Long Island took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning of game two on Joe DeCarlo’s RBI double into the left field corner against Blue Crabs starter Eddie Butler that plated Castro after he drew a free pass earlier in the frame. Southern Maryland scored three times in the last of the fourth off Ducks starter Stephen Tarpley thanks to an RBI double from Braxton Lee, a run-scoring single by David Harris, and an RBI groundout produced by Jared Walker. The home team would add a pair of insurance runs in the fifth for a 5-1 cushion when Harris drove in a run with an infield single and Alex Crosby reached on a fielding error by Tarpley.

 Butler (10-2) was victorious after firing five and one-third innings of one-run ball on eight hits, walking two and striking out four. Tarpley (4-5) was tagged with the loss, surrendering five runs (four earned) on seven hits over five innings on the mound, walking two while striking out five. Travis, DeCarlo, and Deibinson Romero had two hits apiece in the defeat.

 Long Island and Southern Maryland wrap-up their three-game weekend series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. at Regency Furniture Stadium. 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 (4-8, 6.23) gets the nod for the Ducks against Blue Crabs righty Daryl Thompson (10-2, 3.67).

York 5, Charleston 4 (10 innings)

(August 6, 2022 – York, Pa.):  Troy Stokes Jr. tied the game with the play of the night on the basepaths and Melky Mesa delivered the extra-inning walk-off winner as the York Revolution completed a thrilling comeback in a 5-4 victory in 10 innings over the Charleston Dirty Birds on Saturday night at PeoplesBank Park.  York snapped a six-game losing skid, scoring five unanswered to mount the comeback.

Lexington 8, Kentucky 2