Southern Maryland 1, Staten Island 0

(8/13/2022, Staten Island, NY) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs outlasted the Staten Island FerryHawks on Saturday night, with a 1-0 victory in the ninth inning.   

 Daryl Thompson (W, 12-2) and Francisco Carrillo matched each other every step of the way across the first six innings.  From there Daryl Thompson continued to thrive while FerryHawks went to the bullpen.  Thompson ultimately pitched a complete game shutout, facing only 28 batters across nine innings. 

 The Blue Crabs’ offense was quiet throughout the evening, though Mike Falsetti picked up three singles and reached base four times.   

 Prior to the ninth inning, Southern Maryland had the bases loaded twice, but failed to drive in any runs. 

 In the ninth, Mike Falsetti led off the inning with a base hit off of Eddy Reynoso (L, 5-5) before Jack Sundberg reached on a walk.  After a fielder’s choice and a flyout, the Blue Crabs still had runners on first and second with two outs.  David Harris then ripped a liner into left field, scoring Sundberg to give the Blue Crabs a 1-0 lead. 

 Daryl Thompson completed the game with a five-pitch 1-2-3 ninth.  Thompson faced just three batters in eight of the nine innings he pitched.  For Thompson, this was his second complete game of the year and his 17th in the Atlantic League. 

 With the win, the Blue Crabs move to 68-31, and 20-13 in the second half.  The Blue Crabs turn to Alex Merithew for game three of the series with Staten Island tomorrow at 4 pm. 

York 5, Kentucky 3

(August 13, 2022 – York, Pa.):  After being held in check for seven innings, the York Revolution ignited a four-run eighth inning comeback to claim a thrilling 5-3 win over the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes on Saturday night at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs even the series as well as their record through two games on the current 12-game homestand with a second consecutive late-game comeback on a Saturday evening at PeoplesBank Park. It also marked the 997th victory in Revolution franchise history and the 594th in the Revs managerial career of Mark Mason.

 York starter Nick Travieso ran into some early trouble from the outset, walking two batters before allowing a two-out infield single to Felix Pie to put the Genomes on the board. Another walk and a single from Austin Rei made it a quick 2-0 lead.

 Right hander Dustin Beggs retired the first four he faced for Kentucky before Carlos Franco came to the plate in the second inning. Looking to break out of a slump, Franco launched a solo home run to the lawn in right center field, his 30th of the season, and league leading 95th RBI. Franco became the third in Revs history to hit 30 home runs in a campaign, while his 95 RBI rank fifth, two shy of matching Chad Tracy (2014) for fourth.

The Genomes plated one more in the fourth on a wild pitch by Travieso, extending their lead to 3-1. Moises Sierra had led off the inning with a double before moving up on a sacrifice bunt, eventually scoring on the wild pitch.

 Travieso surrendered a leadoff walk in the fifth before ending the inning with a double play ball.

 Two more reached against him in the sixth with a pair of one-out singles, but another double play ball ended the frame and an overall solid night for Travieso who battled through six innings (114 pitches), benefiting from three double play balls rolled on the evening.

 Hoping that the double play would light a spark, Yefri Perez lined a triple into the right-center gap with two away in the bottom of the sixth, but York came up empty as Telvin Nash went down swinging for Beggs’ 10th strikeout of the evening as the right-hander struck out the side. Beggs limited the Revs to just one run on two hits in seven masterful innings and struck out a career-high 12 on the night.

 Gabriel Moya relieved Beggs to start the bottom of the eighth inning, and the lefty started the frame by allowing a leadoff single smashed up the middle by Jhon Nunez on an 0-2 offering before walking Jack Kenley. JC Encarnacion scorched a line drive double off the base of the Arch Nemesis in left field one batter later, plating both runners and tying the game at 3-3 in dramatic fashion. Perez attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt but ended up beating Moya’s throw to first for a hit, chasing Moya from the game in favor of Akeem Bostick with runners at the corners and still no outs.

 Bostick faced Telvin Nash to start his slate, working to a quick 1-2 count. Perez took off for second on the pitch, shifting second baseman Luke Becker out of position, allowing Nash’s slow ground ball to sneak through with Encarnacion scoring for a 4-3 lead and Perez advancing to third. Perez crossed one batter later courtesy of a Nellie Rodriguez sacrifice fly to center, the 60th run driven in by Rodriguez on the year, putting York ahead 5-3.

 Revs closer Jim Fuller shut the door with two strikeouts in the ninth, allowing only a two-out walk, to lock down his 13th save of the season and record 42nd of his Revs career, securing the 5-3 win.

 Fuller capped off three scoreless innings from the York bullpen as he was preceded by Kyle Zurak who debuted with a scoreless seventh and Brett de Geus (2-1) who worked a scoreless eighth, capped by the Revs’ fourth ground ball double play turned on the night.

 The Revs will go for the series win on Sunday at 2 p.m. with Courtney Mack taking the hill against Elih Villanueva. It is Peanuts Palooza, Sunday Funday presented by Weis Markets, and Bark in the Park. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.

 Notes: Travieso logged a seventh consecutive quality start; he is now 4-1 with a 2.49 ERA on that stretch since July 8 and is 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA in his last six starts.

Long Island 6, Charleston 3

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 13, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Charleston Dirty Birds 6-3 on Saturday night in the middle game of a three-game series before a past-capacity crowd of 6,981 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

 The Dirty Birds struck first in the opening inning on a sacrifice fly to center field by Nick Health off Ducks starter Akeel Morris. The Ducks answered with a three-run second off Dirty Birds starter Alec Kisena to take a 3-1 lead. Deibinson Romero’s solo homer to left field, an RBI single by Jacson McGowan and a run-scoring groundout from Matt Chamberlain did the damage.

 Charleston rallied back to tie the game at three with single runs in the fourth and sixth on an RBI single to right by Scott Kelly and a solo homer to left-center from Diego Goris. It stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth when another three-run frame for the Flock gave them a 6-3 lead. Alejandro De Aza’s RBI double to right-center and Carlos Castro’s two-run single to left highlighted the inning.

 Neither starter factored into the decision. Morris pitched five innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out a season-high seven. Kisena lasted five innings, giving up three runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Jose Jose (3-0) earned the win with a scoreless eighth inning, working around two hits while striking out one. Ryan Lawlor (6-3) took the loss, conceding three runs on three hits and two walks in one inning with two strikeouts. Tyler Webb picked up his 11th save with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two.

 Castro led the Flock offensively with two hits, two RBIs and a run. Romero added a hit, an RBI, a run and two walks.

 The Ducks and Dirty Birds wrap up their three-game set on Sunday evening. Game time is slated for 5:05 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 4:05 (3:50 for full season ticket holders). It’s Summer Safety Fun Night, presented by Good Samaritan Hospital. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Rally Towels, and Good Samaritan Hospital will be providing screenings for blood pressure and body mass index. It’s also a Sunday Family Funday, presented by Bethpage Federal Credit Union! P

High Point 5, Gastonia 3

HIGHPOINT, N.C. - The High Point Rockers defeated the Gastonia Honey Hunters 5-3 at Truist Point on Saturday night.

Neil Uskali got the start for the Rockers, searching for win number five on the season. Zack Godley got the ball for the Honey Hunters, making his second start since coming off the injured list earlier this week.

High Point claimed an early 2-0 lead, scoring in each of the first two frames.

In the first, Michael Russell singled to lead off and scored on a Jerry Downs RBI double to give High Point a 1-0 lead. In the second, Russell provided the pop, doubling home Giovanny Alfonzo to increase the lead to 2-0.

Gastonia evened the score in the fourth as Alex Holderbach connected on a two-out single, scoring Zach Jarrett and Emmanuel Tapia.

In the bottom half of the frame, Giovanny Alfonzo doubled against Gastonia reliever Onas Farfan and later scored on a RBI ground out from Downs to retake the lead for the Rockers at 3-2.

In the sixth inning, Zach Jarrett delivered a game-tying solo homer to left-center, knotting the game up at 3-3. The blast for Jarrett was his fifteenth and would foil Uskali´s effort, as the right-hander pitched six innings, only to settle for the no-decision.

Farfan stayed on for Gastonia in the seventh, but was met with a two-run rally for High Point, as Logan Morrison chased him from the contest with a run-scoring single to push the Rockers back in front 4-3.

A bases-loaded walk plated the final run, as Euclides Leyer surrendered the free pass, moving the lead to 5-3 in favor of High Point.

Gastonia had opportunities against Rockers(52-49,13-22) relievers Tyler Higgins and Ryan Dull to close the gap, but were turned away late, preserving the win for High Point,

Junior Rincon, who pitched a scoreless seventh, was the pitcher of record at the time of the High Point rally, earning him his first win of the season. Onas Farfan was saddled with the loss, dropping him to 3-3. Dull earned his 11th save, as the Rockers have beaten the Honey Hunters for the fourth time in their last five meetings.

For Gastonia, Zach Jarrett had a three-hit night, scoring twice. Alex Holderbach added two knocks and two RBI, including a ninth-inning double off Dull to give the Honey Hunters a puncher's chance.

On the mound, Godley struck out six batters in his three innings of work, despite the no-decision. Tim Naughton threw a perfect eighth with two strikeouts. It was the only frame in which a Rocker batter failed to reach.

Gastonia (70-31,25-10) will close out the three-game set against the Rockers at 4:05 pm on Sunday. Ian McKinney will oppose Craig Stem in the rubber game.

Lexington 6, Lancaster 4

Three times on Saturday night, the Lancaster Barnstormers matched Lexington runs with an equal number in their half of the inning.  The fourth time, they failed to do so as the Legends took a 6-4 decision at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

 The loss dropped Lancaster’s lead in the North Division’s second half race to 3 ½ games over Southern Maryland, which won, 1-0, at Staten Island.

 With one out in the eighth, Tillman Pugh doubled to left, his third hit of the game.  League home run leader Courtney Hawkins also doubled off Brandyn Sittinger (0-1) on a drive to left.  A wild pitch sent Hawkins to third, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaias Tejeda.

 Lancaster’s first two hitters singled to open the bottom of the eighth, but Dondrei Hubbard was cut down by Hawkins trying to turn the first into a double.  Aneuris Rosario took over in the ninth and allowed only a walk to Melvin Mercedes in picking up his first save.

 The Legends first took a lead in the second on a double by Phil Ervin, a fly ball and Manuel Geraldo’s grounder.  Lancaster answered in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff walk to Anderson Feliz, a ground out and Chris Proctor’s RBI single to right.

 Hawkins provided Lexington with another lead in the third with a two-out RBI single that brought Teodoro Martinez home.  The Barnstormers countered in the bottom of the third on a double steal on which Jacob Barfield raced across with the run.

 Montrell Marshall belted a two-run homer in the top of the seventh for a 4-2 Lexington edge.  Lancaster again answered.  Proctor reached on an infield single to open the home half of the inning.  Trace Loehr’s single to center moved him to third, and Loehr followed with his second steal of the night.  A grounder by Melvin Mercedes produced one run.  Loehr scored the tying tally, come home on a wild pitch during a third strike to Andretty Cordero.

 The series concluded Sunday at 1:00.  Lancaster will send Oscar De La Cruz (6-2) to the mound against lefty Thomas Dorminy (5-6).  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube channel, starting at 12:55.  Following Sunday afternoon, the Barnstormers will play 21 of 24 games on the road.

 NOTES:  Anderson Feliz hit safely for the ninth straight game…Loehr is now 16-for-16 in stolen bases…Cordero his safely in his seventh straight…Sittinger made his first appearance since July 24...He had been home for the birth of his twins…Mercedes reached base for the 36th straight “full” game…He lost a streak on July 30, due to an ejection…Lexington starter Ean Walda made his Atlantic League debut as did Lancaster center fielder Hubbard.