High Point 4, Charleston 3

HIGH POINT, NC - The High Point Rockers squeaked out a down-to-the-wire 4-3 win to pick up a sweep over the Charleston Dirty Birds in an exciting affair from Truist Point on Thursday night. The victory lifts the Rockers to 5-1 on the season and into a first-place tie in the South Division.

The Rockers once again jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first when John Nogowski blasted a no-doubt two-run homer to left field that sent High Point out to a 2-0 edge. Later in the inning following a Zander Wiel free pass, Ben Aklinski slapped a base hit to the outfield that plated a third Rockers run and the home team led 3-0 after a frame.

High Point's starter, Liam O'Sullivan, who had just signed with the club earlier in the day, worked through five admirable innings. The right-hander's only blip on the radar was a solo homer off the bat of Luis Roman, who cleared the fence and made the score 3-1 in the fourth.

To his credit, Charleston hurler Kit Scheetz settled in nicely after being roughed up in the first inning, hanging four straight zeroes before being lifted from the ballgame after five innings of work against a sizzling Rockers lineup, holding them in check through the middle innings and provided his team with a chance.

O'Sullivan gave way to Cam Cotter out of the bullpen in the sixth, but the Dirty Birds clawed a little closer when Bobby Bradley demolished a moonshot to make it a 3-2 game after five and a half.

With the Rockers in much need of some insurance down the stretch, Shed Long answered the call, lifting his second home run in as many days to straightaway center field off the batter's eye and it gave the Rockers a bit of separation and made the score 4-2.

Charleston didn't go down without a fight, with still some gas left in the tank in the eighth the Dirty Birds loaded the bags against High Point reliever Mickey Jannis. Pinch batter Montrell Marshall whiffed over the top of a fluttering knuckler for out number one, and then Jannis was able to induce a ground ball and the Rockers infield turned a 6-4-3 double play to keep their slim lead intact. It was the fourth double play of the ballgame spun by the Rockers infield, tying a club record.

In the ninth, more drama followed. Jameson McGrane entered the fret looking to collect his first save of the campaign, and it appeared he would do so rather easily, fanning the first two hitters he saw. However, down to their final out, the Dirty Birds found one last gasp. Two straight singles brought up Dwight Smith Jr., who ripped a liner down the right field line. One run crossed the plate, but a perfect throw to the cut-off man from Ben Aklinski allowed Michael Russell to fire a strike to the plate, cutting down the game-tying run and preserving the win for the Rockers.

The 4-3 final pushes High Point into a first-place tie with the Gastonia Honey Hunters atop the South Division. At 5-1, High Point has now tied their best start in franchise history with the 2021 club. The Rockers will get set for the third stanza of the home stand tomorrow night when they welcome Frederick for the first ever meeting between the two squads. The first pitch is tabbed for 6:35 as High Point will send former big leaguer Ben Braymer to the bump for his second start of 2023.

York 5, Lancaster 3

(May 4th, 2023 – Lancaster, Pa.): The York Revolution earned their first series win of the season, beating the Lancaster Barnstormers 5-3 at Clipper Magazine Stadium on Thursday evening. Six pitchers combined to keep the Barnstormers at bay while Drew Mendoza drove in four as the Revs took the final two games of the series. York returns home from its season-opening road swing with a 3-3 record and will host Staten Island in the 2023 home opener at WellSpan Park on Friday night.

The York defense made an immediate impact in the first as Jacob Rhinesmith saved a run on a diving catch toward the right field line, robbing Kelly Dugan of an RBI to keep things scoreless.

The offense went to work in the second as the Revs got a leadoff hit from Trey Martin who stole second. Troy Stokes Jr. worked a walk, and both scored on a Mendoza double to left center field that got beyond everyone and went to the wall. Alexis Pantoja drove in Mendoza with a double to the same left center field gap as the Revs built an early 3-0 lead.

Ariel Sandoval homered to deep left center field off Revs spot starter J.P. Woodward in the bottom of the second to make it a 3-1 game.

Martin reached on a two-out single to keep the third inning alive, stole another bag, and after another walk to Stokes Jr., scored as Mendoza singled to right to increase the lead to 4-1.

Woodward was touched for a two-out RBI single by Dugan in the bottom of the third but gave the Revs a big lift in his first career start, going 2.2 innings and exiting with a 4-2 lead.

With two outs in the fifth, Stokes Jr. walked for the third time to keep the inning alive and was once again doubled in by Mendoza on a drive to left that was lost in the twilight, increasing York’s lead to 5-2. Mendoza ended the night with four RBI on a 3-for-4 effort at the plate.

Tom Sutera (1-0) earned the win in his second outing of the season, working 3.1 scoreless innings in relief on just two hits while striking out three.

Tasker Strobel came in for the seventh inning and struck out two but gave up a two-out RBI single up the middle to Melvin Mercedes to trim the lead tighter at 5-3. Will Carter entered and struck out Dugan to get out of the inning with no further damage.

Blake Rogers pitched a scoreless eighth, allowing just an infield single. He has retired nine of ten batters faced in three outings on the season.

Victor Capellan came on in the ninth and shut the door, notching his second save of the season by retiring the side in order with two punch outs.

Brandyn Sittinger (0-2) took the loss for Lancaster, needing 100 pitches to complete four innings. He was touched for four runs on seven hits.

The Revs now get set for the home opener on Friday as the Staten Island FerryHawks come to WellSpan Park. The night includes a Fanny Pack Giveaway presented by Give Local York to the first 1,000 fans. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.

Notes: Mendoza’s four RBI marks the third four-RBI performance by a Revs hitter over the last two nights, as Trent Giambrone and Alejandro Rivero both drove in four in Wednesday’s victory. Sutera’s 3.1 innings marked his longest outing since the 2021 season when he was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization. York went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and is now 11-for-29 (.379) in that department over the last two nights after a 5-for-35 start. Martin picked up his second multi-steal performance in the first six games.

Long Island 4, Staten Island 3

(Central Islip, N.Y., May 4, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 4-3 in waddle-off fashion on Thursday night in the rubber game of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Long Island went in front 2-0 in the second inning on Luis Guerrero’s RBI triple to left-center field and Adeiny Hechavarria’s RBI single through the right side off FerryHawks starter Jonathon Crawford. Staten Island closed to within 2-1 in the fourth on Zachary Racusin’s sacrifice fly to right off Ducks starter Ian Clarkin.

It stayed that way until the eighth when Racusin beat out an RBI fielder’s choice to tie the game at two. The FerryHawks then took the lead in the ninth on a two-out RBI double to center by Jeff Wehler. However, a walk-off two-run single up the middle by Mike Wilson in the bottom of the ninth won the game for the Flock.

Neither starter factored into the decision. Clarkin pitched four innings, yielding one unearned run on three hits while striking out seven. Crawford also tossed four innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Kevin Quackenbush (1-0) picked up the win despite allowing a run on two hits in the ninth. Jim Fuller (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering two runs on a hit and two walks in one-third of an inning.

Wilson led the Flock with four hits, two RBIs and a run. Guerrero and Lew Ford added two hits apiece.

The Ducks continue their homestand on Friday night when they open a three-game series against the Gastonia Honey Hunters. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the Ducks will be debuting their alternate identity: “Papas Playas”. It’s also a Tap Room Friday at the ballpark, and Ducks staff members will be handing out coupons for 20% off your entire meal at any of The Tap Room’s five locations on Long Island as fans exit the ballpark. It’s a Grand Slam Friday as well. The sixth inning will be designated as the Grand Slam Inning, and if the Ducks fourth batter of the inning launches a home run with the bases loaded, one lucky fan will win $25,000. Right-hander Stephen Woods Jr. (1-0, 0.00) gets the start for the Ducks against Honey Hunters righty Alex Sanabia (0-0, 12.00).

So. Maryland 4, Gastonia 2

Lexiington 4, Frederick 3