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Gastonia 11, High Point 5

GASTONIA, N.C. - Newcomer Cole Freeman led a 14-hit attack for the Gastonia Honey Hunters as they sprinted past the High Point Rockers 11-5 on Saturday night at Caromont Health Park.

Zack Godley took the mound for Gastonia against Craig Stem, who pitched an uber effective game last Sunday against the Honey Hunters. For Godley, he was seeking his first win since July 17, despite having an unblemished 3-0 record on the season.

Gastonia was able to ensure, very early, that this outcome would not be like last week´s 6-3 loss at Truist Point.

Zach Jarrett opened the scoring in the first, smashing his 17th homer of the year to take a 2-0 lead. The line drive homer was part of a three RBI game, giving him 67 on the season, just ten behind Joseph Rosa´s 77 RBI on the year.

After a RBI double from Jarrett in the third, Gastonia would stake Godley to a 4-0 lead in the fourth, as Reece Hampton drilled his eighth homer of the year to right.

Godley would make good use of the lead, tossing six innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits and three strikeouts.

However, High Point(56-51,17-24) would level the contest at 4-4 in the seventh, sending eight men to the plate, scoring three times off Gastonia reliever Quintin Torres-Costa. Michael Russell had the biggest knock of the frame for the Rockers, a gap double to left center that plated two runs, making it that 4-4 deadlock.

Euclides Leyer came on to complete the seventh, getting Quincy Latimore to strike out.

Gastonia would retaliate immediately in the seventh and eighth innings, scoring seven times in their final two at-bats.

It was in the final two at-bats that saw the newly acquired Freeman pick up two hits and a trio of RBI to put the game out of reach. Freeman´s two-run shot to left was his first for the Honey Hunters, advancing the lead to 11-4.Roldani Baldwin hit a solo shot to left off Jesus Balaguer, but it would prove too little, too late in this contest.

Leyer picked up his fourth win of the season, improving to 4-2. Stem took the loss, falling to 5-4.

Gastonia (74-33,29-12) wraps up the three-game set against High Point on Sunday at 4:15 pm, as Ian McKinney goes against Liam O´Sullivan.

Long Island 8, York 5

(York, Pa., Aug. 20, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the York Revolution 8-5 on Saturday night in the middle game of a three-game series at PeoplesBank Park.

 Carlos Castro's two-out RBI single in the first inning gave the Ducks an early 1-0 lead. York answered back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on Telvin Nash's RBI single and Yefri Perez's RBI fielder's choice. Long Island went back in front in the second on Phil Caulfield’s run-scoring groundout and Tzu-Wei Lin’s RBI double to right-center. However, a pair of Ducks throwing errors in the third scored Melky Mesa and Perez to put the Revolution back in front 4-3.

 The Ducks took an 8-4 lead with a five-run fifth inning. Jose Sermo's RBI double, Matt Chamberlain's RBI single, Lin's two-run double and Alejandro De Aza's RBI single highlighted the inning. JC Encarnacion’s RBI single through the left side in the eighth closed the gap to 8-5, but York would get no closer.

 Iorio (8-4) earned the win, tossing six innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk while striking out six. Travieso (6-6) suffered the loss, surrendering five runs on eight hits and five walks over four innings with two strikeouts. Matt Carasiti picked up his first save with a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two.

 Lin led the Flock offensively with three doubles, three RBIs and a run. De Aza, Castro, Sermo and Chamberlain each chipped in with a pair of hits as well.

 The Ducks and Revolution wrap up their three-game set on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at PeoplesBank Park. 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 Scott Harkin (8-7, 4.91) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Revolution lefty Austin Nicely (3-10, 7.55)

Kentucky 6, Southern Maryland 4

(8/20/2022, Waldorf, MD) The Kentucky Wild Health Genomes rallied for four runs in the eighth inning in their comeback win over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Saturday night.  Despite a strong performance from Alex Merithew, the Blue Crabs’ bullpen could not hold the lead, giving the Genomes a 6-4 victory. 

 The Blue Crabs started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning.  Jack Sundberg extended his on-base streak to 23 games with a base hit before Braxton Lee bounced a single up the middle, scoring Sundberg to give the Blue Crabs a 1-0 lead. 

 The Genomes responded in the third inning.  Kentucky picked up a run on a sacrifice fly before Moises Sierra drove in a run on an RBI single into right field, giving the Genomes a 2-1 lead. 

 In the fourth inning, the Blue Crabs got a run back.  Collier tripled to start the inning, and Jared Walker drove him in on a ground out to first base. 

 In the sixth inning, the Blue Crabs pulled ahead.  With Collier on second base, Jared Walker drove a grounder down the third base line, scoring Crosby to give the Blue Crabs a 3-2 edge. With Walker on third base, Jack Sundberg drove a base hit through the right side, giving the Blue Crabs a 4-2 lead. 

 But the Genomes responded in the eighth.  Alex Merithew pitched seven innings, allowing two runs while striking out eight.  The Blue Crabs turned to Patrick Baker (L, 5-2) in the eighth inning. 

Luke Becker walked before Moises Sierra drove a double down the line, cutting the deficit to 4-3. With runners on first and second, Eury Perez ripped a double to left, scoring Sierra and tying the game.  The next batter, Felix Pie, hit a ground ball past the shortstop Michael Baca, bringing in two runs, putting the Genomes on top 6-4. 

 Jamie Callahan (W, 1-0) pitched a clean seventh for the Genomes.  The Blue Crabs rallied in the eighth and ninth innings, but could not get a run in. The Blue Crabs loaded the bases in the ninth, but Diogenes Almengo (Sv, 4) worked out of the jam, securing a 6-4 win for the Genomes. 

 The Blue Crabs are back in action tomorrow against the Genomes at 2:05 pm for the rubber match in the three-game set. 

Lancaster 6, Charleston 2

Brooks Hall had only one stumble in his return to Atlantic League action on Thursday night.

 The right hander walked Yovan Gonzalez, followed by an Angel Garced home run in the bottom of the third.

 Afterward, Hall (3-1) and the Lancaster bullpen combined to retire 21 consecutive batters as the Lancaster Barnstormers defeated the host Dirty Birds, 6-2, at Appalachian Power Park.

 Garced’s homer, his third, gave the Dirty Birds a 2-1 lead in the bottom of that third inning.  The Barnstormers finally caught up in the fifth when Andretty Cordero doubled to right center and scored on a base hit up the middle by Trayvon Robinson.

 The sixth inning provided Lancaster with the lead it never relinquished.  With one out Dondrei Hubbard drew a walk from Denson Hull (0-3, 2-8).  Jake Hoover drove a ball past a backhanded effort by third baseman Edwin Espinal that rolled into the left field corner for a double, the third of Hoover’s four hits.  Trace Loehr worked out a walk, and Melvin Mercedes delivered the go-ahead run with a sac fly to left center.

 A walk to Jacob Barfield, stolen base and RBI single into right by Anthony Peroni provided Lancaster with an insurance run in the seventh.

 The Barnstormers extended that lead in a peculiar eighth inning.  Hoover blooped a single into left center and stole second.  Loehr was hit by a pitch, and Mercedes reached on an error to load the bases.  Andretty Cordero slapped a ball toward the middle that changed course and ended up deflecting over second baseman Scott Kelly into right center for a two-run single, leaving Lancaster with runners at the corners and no one out.  Trayvon Robinson, batting right-handed, hit a soft liner on the right side.  Kelly dove.  Kelly was ruled to have caught the ball before it touched the ground, but the Barnstormers thought otherwise.  Cordero was doubled off first, then Edwin Espinal ran the ball completely across the diamond and stepped on third to complete the triple play.  Lancaster argued for several minutes to no avail.

 Brandyn Sittinger threw two perfect innings of relief while Josh Graham and West Tunnell fired one each to nail down the win.

 Lancaster will throw right-hander Oscar De La Cruz on Sunday at 5:05 against another lefty, Kit Scheetz (5-1).  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube channel at 5:00.

 NOTES:  The Barnstormers rebuilt a 2 ½ game lead over Southern Maryland and also picked up a game on High Point in the Wild Card standings…Ariel Sandoval lost his 14-game hitting streak…Hoover’s four-hit game was his second of the year…Cordero had three hits and now has 147 on the year, 27 from the club record…He has 96 RBI, seven away from that club mark…Charleston had runners reach on errors in each of the first two innings…Kelly was thrown out stealing in the first…The triple play was the second turned against Lancaster this season.