Spire City 9, Staten Island 3

FREDERICK, MD – After a six run, eighth inning comeback on Saturday night, the Ghost Hounds won the series with an explosive offensive performance. The Ghost Hounds launched six home runs in a 9-3 win over Staten Island on Sunday.

The Ferryhawks were the first to score in the game when Angel Aguilar homered off of starter Zac Rosscup, putting Staten Island up 1-0.

Leobaldo Cabrera answered quickly, launching the first pitch he saw over the left field wall to tie the game. Two pitches later, Craig Dedelow followed with a home run of his own to take the lead, 2-1.

The Hounds kept the offense coming in the second inning. It started with a Dedelow sac fly, before Eddy Diaz took home on an errant throw back to the mound by the Staten Island catcher. Jose Marmolejos capped off the inning with a two-run home run, making it 6-1 Ghost Hounds.

Raudy Read added a fourth home run of the day with a solo home run to lead off the third inning.

In the sixth, Cabrera and Dedelow went back-to-back yet again, which extended the Ghost Hound lead to 9-1.

The Ferryhawks scored a run in both the eighth and ninth innings, but it was not enough as Spire City won the rubber match.

Notes:

-      Zac Rosscup threw six innings, striking out six on four hits.

-      Cabrera’s 2nd home run was his 30th of the season

Charleston 14, Long Island 6

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 20, 2023) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Charleston Dirty Birds 14-6 on Sunday evening in the final game of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Charleston was led at the plate by Dwight Smith Jr. He finished the day 4-for-5 at the plate with a double, a home run, five RBIs and three runs scored. Yefri Perez and Clayton Mehlbauer each recorded three hits for the visitors, with Perez driving in a run and both players scoring three times. Justin O’Conner added two hits, three RBIs, a run and a walk.

 Long Island had four players collect two hits in the ballgame. One of them was Brantley Bell, who also drove in a pair of runs. Alejandro De Aza’s two hits included a solo homer, his fourth of the season, and he finished with two runs scored plus a walk. Wilson Ramos and Joe DeCarlo added a run each along with their two hits. Alex Dickerson launched a homer as well for the Ducks, his team-leading and career-high 20th of the season.

Dirty Birds starter Kit Scheetz (7-10) earned the win, tossing five innings of three-run ball, allowing seven hits and a walk while striking out six. Ducks starter Kyle Lobstein (3-4) took the loss, giving up nine runs on 12 hits and two walks over five innings with four strikeouts.

The Ducks continue their homestand on Tuesday night when they open a three-game series against the Gastonia Honey Hunters. Game time is slated for 6:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive 2013 Atlantic League Champions Posters as part of the 2013 Championship 10th Anniversary Series. It’s a Triple Play Tuesday at the ballpark as well, and if the Ducks turn a triple play during the game, one lucky fan will win $25,000. Right-hander Robert Stock (8-2, 3.79) gets the start for the Ducks against a Honey Hunters starter to be determined.

Lancaster 10, Southern Maryland 7

Sunday afternoon may have huge ramifications as the Lancaster Barnstormers strive to repeat as Atlantic League champions in 2023.

Joseph Carpenter slugged a pair of homers and went 3-for-5, leading a 14-hit attack as the Barnstormers defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, 10-7, at Regency Furniture Stadium.

With the win, the Barnstormers return to first place in the North Division, one game ahead of both Southern Maryland and Staten Island.  They also clinched the tiebreaker with Southern Maryland, taking two of three in the only series the division rivals play in the second half of the season.

Carpenter opened the second and fifth innings with homers to left center.  His leadoff single in the fourth may have been the biggest of his three hits, however, triggering a five-run uprising.

Southern Maryland had just taken a 3-2 lead on an opposite field home run by Braxton Lee in the bottom of the third, but the Barnstormers responded quickly against Liam O’Sullivan (7-3, 9-5).  Following Carpenter’s liner to center, Chris Proctor drew a walk.  Anthony Peroni tied the game with a single to right center, and Shawon Dunston, Jr. put the Barnstormers ahead to stay with a sacrifice fly to center.  Peroni took second on the throw home, and the next three batters all singled to drive home a run.  Melvin Mercedes brought Peroni across on a grounder up the middle and took second on the throw to the plate.  Yeison Coca singled to center to bring in Mercedes for a 6-3 lead.  Coca swiped second and scored on a base hit by Andretty Cordero.

Jared Lakind (8-3) quickly recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the fourth.  Alex Crosby, who struck out for the first out was then ejected from the dugout over ball-strike calls, leading to a lengthy break in the action.  Play resumed as Crosby was walking off, and Ian Yetsko tripled to left on a wind blown fly ball.  Isaias Quiroz lofted a fly ball to deep right on which Chris Proctor got turned around by the wind as well, and the ball fell in for a double, to cut Lancaster’s lead to 7-4.  Wilson Garcia overran a foul pop up with Michael Baca batting, and the Blue Crabs shortstop walked.  Lakind finally struck out Sundberg to end the inning.

Carpenter’s second homer, and Dunston’s second sac fly rebuilt the lead to 9-4, but Lakind had to survive another scare in the bottom of the fifth.  The lefty walked the first two batters of the inning, then made a high throw to first on a comebacker by Jimmy Kerrigan.  The lefty picked up the next two outs before Ian Yetsko singled into left, bringing Quiroz to the plate as the tying run.  Quiroz struck out looking, ending the day for Lakind, who threw 117 pitches on the afternoon.

Garcia slugged a two-out solo homer in the top of the sixth for a 10-5 lead.  Brandyn Sittinger and Dominic DiSabatino held the lead over the next three innings, but the Blue Crabs reached Garrett Granitz for a pair in the ninth.  Jimmy Kerrigan led off with a homer to left.  Fox Semones doubled into left center and took third on a single to left by pinch hitter K.C. Hobson.  Granitz coaxed a double play out of Yetsko and a liner out of new catcher Ray Torres to pin down the victory.

Lancaster will open a three-game series at York on Tuesday evening.  Nile Ball (6-6) will make the start against Revs’ right-hander Pedro Vasquez.  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  Mercedes went 2-for-5, reaching base for the 20^th consecutive game…Carpenter had his 10^th three-hit game of the season and took the club lead with his 13^th and 14^th homers…He hit five in the nine games at Southern Maryland…Lancaster pitching struck out 13 for the game…The first strikeout of a Barnstormer came with two outs in the seventh…Lakind has won eight of his last nine decisions.

High Point 5, York 1
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers sixth straight win resulted in a 5-1 victory over York on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point, giving the Rockers consecutive series sweeps.

The Rockers took all three games from York on the heels of sweeping a three-game series at Lexington earlier in the week.

On Sunday, it was right fielder Ben Aklinski who continued swinging a hot bat, driving in four runs with a sac fly, a solo homer and a two-run single. Aklinski hit .364 (4-for-11) during the three-games with York, driving in eight runs.

Craig Stem (W, 2-1) went five innings and allowed five hits and one unearned run while walking one and striking out seven. The win was the 15^th of Stem’s career as a Rocker, pushing him one game ahead of Bryce Hensley for the most career wins in Rockers history. Bryce Hensley threw two innings without allowing a hit, Jameson McGrane threw a shutout frame in the eighth and Ryan Dull tossed the ninth with one walk and one strikeout.

The Revolution took a 1-0 lead in the second when Trey Martin reached on a fielding error by third baseman Daikan Yoh. Richard Urena followed with a double and Martin scored on an infield groundout by Jhon Nunez.

The Rockers tied the game in the fourth when D.J. Burt tripled and scored on a sac fly from Aklinski. High Point took its first lead in the fifth when Emmanuel Tapia doubled with two outs and was replaced at second base by designated pinch-runner Joe Johnson. After a walk to Ryan Grotjohn, Shed Long, Jr. punched a single to plate Johnson and put High Point ahead 2-1.

Aklinski’s solo homer in the sixth, his 17^th of the year, gave High Point a 3-1 lead. He added two more RBI in the seventh when Tapia was hit by a pitch and Grotjohn and Burt each drew a walk to load the bases. Aklinski’s single left-center brought home both runs and round out the 5-1 final.

York’s Tom Sutera (L, 7-6) tossed five innings and allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out six.

“That was a helluva series,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe.  “Stem threw a lot of pitches, probably the most he’s thrown in two years, but he had enough to give us our chances. Tapia had a big hit and we got some guys in scoring position because we didn’t have many early in the game.

“It’s fun right now,” said Keefe of the Rockers current six-game winning streak.  “The guys are exhausted but they don’t want to take tomorrow off even though it’s an off-day. They want to keep playing but at the end of the day, we just keep rolling.”

With the win, High Point maintains the Atlantic League’s best overall record at 65-34, a club-record 31 games over .500. The Rockers keep a two-game lead over Gastonia with High Point 24-12 in the second half and the Honey Hunters are 22-14.

Following a day off on Monday, the Rockers will be at home for three games with the Lexington Counter Clocks. Tuesday’s game is slated for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.

NOTES: High Point centerfielder D.J. Burt led off the fourth inning with a triple to mark his 54^th consecutive game reaching base. He also drew a seventh inning walk… The six-game winning streak is High Point’s second-longest of the year behind an eight-game winning streak May 2-8… The Rockers hit .292 over the last six games, the best average in the Atlantic League… Their 14 homers and 44 runs scored also top all ALPB clubs for the last six games… The Rockers pitching staff has been equally as responsible, posting a league-best 2.62 ERA over the last six games with 60 strikeouts in 55 innings… The Rockers are 65-34 after 99 games, the best in club history… Their previous best was 57-42 in 2019… Aklinski’s homer marked his 100^th hit of the season… He has surpassed the 100-hit mark in all three of his ALPB seasons including the 2021 campaign when he played for Lexington.

Gastonia 8, Lexington 3

Gastonia’s Gunnar Kines improved to 10-3 by striking out eight in five innings of an 8-3 win over the visiting Lexington Counter Clocks. Offensively, the Honey Hunters used a five-run third inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit and go on to the win.

In the third, Braxton Davidson drove home two runs with a bases loaded single and Alexis Olmeda cleared the bases with a three-run triple.

Osmy Gregorio hit a solo homer for the Counter Clocks.