Lexington 9, Charleston 5
On a brisk evening in Lexington, Kentucky, the Lexington Legends showcased a blend of resilience and raw power, outlasting the Charleston Dirty Birds in a 9–5 win, their second of the year. The night, marred briefly by the injury of home plate umpire Gus Curtis in the third inning, tested the composure of both teams, who were left to navigate the rest of the contest with only two officials. Yet the Legends, bolstered by a surge of offense, seemed largely unfazed.
Charleston struck first but squandered early opportunities, stranding 14 runners over nine innings. Despite an impressive night from Jonathan Soto—who tallied two doubles and drove in four runs—the Dirty Birds struggled to convert pressure into sustained momentum. Meanwhile, Lexington’s bats found rhythm as the game unfolded. Drew Ellis, in particular, made an emphatic statement, homering and driving in three runs, while Kole Cottam and Brandon Whalen each added their own fireworks with long balls that electrified the 5,025 fans braving the chill.
Pitching remained a study in contrasts. Charleston’s starter, Keyvius Sampson, battled through four innings but yielded two crucial home runs, allowing Lexington to power ahead. The Dirty Birds’ bullpen fared no better, surrendering six more runs in increasingly chaotic frames. In contrast, Lexington’s Patrick Wicklander provided a foundation of stability, scattering six hits over five strong innings and striking out five before handing the game to a bullpen that, though imperfect, proved serviceable enough to preserve the lead.
The night was not without its flaws—fielding errors, wild pitches, and an occasional sense of improvised officiating—but it belonged firmly to Lexington, whose aggressive baserunning and persistent plate discipline (drawing six walks) paid off handsomely. Their lineup, peppered with first-week optimism and flashes of seasoned patience, looked every bit the part of a team eager to set the tone early in the season.
Long Island 13, Lancaster 5
(Central Islip, N.Y., April 26, 2025) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Lancaster Stormers 13-5 on Saturday night in the middle game of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
Lancaster took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Nick Lucky’s two-run home run to right-center field off Ducks starter Zach Plesac. However, Long Island countered with a six-run bottom of the first off Stormers starter Matt Swarmer to jump in front. River Town’s two-run home run, Justin O’Conner’s RBI double and Troy Viola’s three-run homer highlighted the frame.
Mason Martin trimmed the Ducks lead to 6-4 in the third with a two-run homer to right-center. The Ducks grabbed a run back in the bottom of the inning on Town’s sac fly to left, pushing their advantage back up to three. A three-spot in the fourth courtesy of JC Encarnacion’s two-run triple to right-center and Viola’s sac fly to left widened the gap to 10-4.
Long Island tacked on two more runs in the sixth thanks to RBI singles from Kole Kaler and Town. An RBI single by Slater Schield in the seventh made it a 12-5 game, but the Ducks countered in the eighth with an RBI single to left by Kaler to round out the scoring.
Plesac (1-0) picked up the win, tossing five innings, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three. Swarmer (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering seven runs on nine hits and two walks in two innings with one strikeout. Bernardo Flores pitched two innings of one-run ball in relief for the Flock, while Braydon Nelson and Chad Pike each threw a scoreless inning.
Viola finished with a homer, four RBIs, three runs and three walks to lead the Ducks. O’Conner added three hits, an RBI, three runs and a walk, while Kaler had three hits and two RBIs. Town also contributed with two hits, four RBIs, a run and a walk.
The Ducks and Stormers wrap up their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. Game time is slated for 1:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 12:35 (12:20 for full season ticket holders). The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive 25th Anniversary Magnet Schedules. It’s also a FourLeaf Family Funday Sunday at the ballpark! Prior to the game, fans will be able to enjoy a Catch on the Field from 12:40 until 1:00. After the game, fans are invited back down to the field for Kids Run the Bases. Left-hander Juan Hillman toes the rubber for the Ducks against Stormers righty Alex Garbrick.
High Point 14, Southern Maryland 4
WALDORF, Md. – The High Point Rockers set a club record by scoring in each of the first six innings, building a 12-1 lead, and coasting to a 14-4 win over Southern Maryland at Regency Furniture Stadium on Saturday night.
The game was delayed by 1:19 due to rain but the Rockers’ offense was right on time, taking a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo homer by right fielder Luis Gonzalez then going up 5-1 in the second following shortstop Aidan Brewer’s first career grand slam.
Gonzalez would add a two-run homer in the fifth and Evan Edwards slammed a solo homer leading off the sixth, his second of the season.
Gonzalez finished the night with four hits, three runs scored and three RBI while center fielder Cody Wilson had three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Brewer, catcher Luke Napleton, second baseman D.J. Burt, and Edwards each had a pair of hits as the Rockers finished with 18 safeties. The Rockers accounted for four homers and four doubles among the 18 hits.
Kent Emanuel started on the mound for the Rockers and went four innings, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out four and allowing one run. Fellow lefty Jonah Scolaro (W, 1-0) entered in the fifth and went three innings, walking two and striking out a pair while allowing three runs. Akeel Morris made his first appearance as a Rocker since 2019 and pitched a scoreless eighth while Kyle Halbohn tossed a shutout ninth inning.
The Rockers are now 2-0 on the season and will play the series finale at Southern Maryland on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Rockers will then open a three-game series at Gastonia with a 12:30 doubleheader on Monday.
Staten Island 13, Hagerstown 3
The FerryHawks made a statement in their second game of the season, posting double-digit hits, 10, and runs, 13, en route to a 13-3 win over the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.
Damon Dues did damage for his new squad as he blasted the first FerryHawks home run of the season in the second inning. The lefty took Boxcars pitcher Jorge Martinez deep to right field, also plating Aaron Takacs and Tim Borden. Borden was making his Staten Island debut, replacing Drew Maggi at first base and batting eighth in the lineup. He made an immediate impact, going 2-4 with three RBI, one run and one walk.
Staten Island scored four runs in the 5th inning, and continued to pile on with 6 more runs in the 6th frame. The bats proved that patience is a virtue, taking 10 team walks. Those walks would help account for many of the runners who got on in those middle innings where the FerryHawks closed the door on the Boxcars.
Dues and Borden co-led the team with three RBI each. Shayne Fontana went 1-4 and picked up a pair of Runs Batted In, as did Takacs who reached base all five times he appeared at the plate. The left fielder went 3-3 with two walks and two runs scored. Pablo Sandoval tacked on an RBI for the second consecutive game, and Brandon Martorano got the start behind the dish and knocked in one while hitting 1-4 on the evening. Eddy Diaz got a hit and a walk in five trips to the plate and ultimately went on to steal his fourth base of the young season.
Morgan McSweeney got the start for the visiting Staten Island squad. He pitched four innings, striking out four and walking one. The Boxcars tagged him for just one run, which came in the bottom of the third. Brennen Oxford was awarded the win after an impressive outing in relief, where he got 6 outs- 5 via the strikeout. Former Banana Ball player Connor Higgins worked one inning, giving up two runs, but only one earned, while walking a pair and punching out one. Luis Guzman and Robbie Baker were responsible for the 8th and 9th innings respectively on the mound, and both walked one and struck out one. In 11.2 innings this season, the Staten Island bullpen has allowed just one earned run.
Mark Minicozzi’s FerryHawks will look to sweep Hagerstown in the series finale on Sunday, April 27th. First pitch is slated for 2PM at Meritus Park, and fans can follow along live on the FloSports app.
York 10, Gastonia 9 (11 innings)
(April 26, 2025 – Gastonia, NC): The York Revolution used extra innings again to defeat the Gastonia Ghost Peppers, 10-9 in 11 innings on Saturday night at CaroMont Health Park, improving to 2-0 on the season.
One night after playing extras in a season opener for the first time ever, York jumped in front on the first pitch of the game as Tomo Otosaka slugged the third home run of his Revs career just over the right center fence for a 1-0 lead. Osvaldo Tovalin added an RBI fielder’s choice for a 2-0 jump start.
Gastonia put together a huge first inning, scoring six times off Revs starter Matt Walker as York faced its first comeback opportunity of the year. Justin Wylie’s two-run double to left center tied the game as the first five Peppers all reached safely. Narciso Crook handed the Revs their first deficit of the season on a sac fly to right, and Cole Roederer capped the outburst with a three-run homer to left.
Down 6-2, the Revs clawed back with three runs in the third. Alerick Soularie pounded an RBI single up the middle. Frankie Tostado crossed the plate on a wild pitch, and Justin Connell hammered an RBI single high off the left field fence, chasing Gastonia starter Raynel Espinal after 2.2 innings with York knocking on the door, down 6-5.
Revs reliever Danny Denz was excellent in his season debut, taking over in the second inning and striking out six over 2.2 scoreless innings to settle things down.
Hunter Dula executed a pickoff at second to end the fourth and retired all four batters faced, working into the sixth inning, keeping it a one-run margin.
Zach Veen took over and struck out Roederer for the second out of the sixth but was made to pay for a pair of two-out walks thanks to RBI singles from Jack Reinheimer and Richie Martin, extending the Ghost Peppers lead to 8-5.
The Revs came all the way back in the next half inning, rallying for three in the seventh to finally draw even. After loading the bases with no outs against righty Bryan Blanton, the Revs were in danger of squandering their opportunity after consecutive punch outs. Connell drew a bases loaded walk to force home a two-out run, and Jairus Richards greeted righty Parker Kruglewicz with a two-run single down the right field line, deadlocking the score at 8-8.
Chad Coles stole the show in the late innings out of the Revs bullpen, as the rookie righty fired three no-hit innings with five strikeouts, allowing just one baserunner (hit by pitch) to send the game to extras.
York had previously threatened in the eighth after Otosaka’s double landed two in scoring position with none out, but lefty Nick Horvath entered to notch the final two outs of the inning before going three-up, three-down in the ninth, putting together his own terrific relief outing.
Michael Berglund’s sac bunt advanced a pair of runners in the top of the tenth, allowing Otosaka to produce an RBI ground out against Horvath for a 9-8 lead.
York closer Cam Robinson very nearly induced a game-ending double play in the bottom half, but Crook stayed in a rundown between first and second long enough to allow Wylie to score the tying run, sending the game to an 11th inning.
Jalen Miller came home on a wild pitch for a 10-9 lead in the 11th. It occurred due in large part to heads up baserunning by Tostado who was rung up on a check swing but instantly broke toward first drawing a throw from catcher Patrick Mazeika which allowed Miller to scamper home for what turned out to be the winning run.
Tostado pounced on a bunt try by Ethan Skender and fired to third base for the first out in the bottom of the 11th. After a walk put two aboard, Robinson struck out Reinheimer and retired Martin on a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop, closing out the wild win.
Notes: York stole five bases after swiping seven on Opening Night; they were successful on their first 11 attempts of the season before being caught. It is their most steals through the first two games of a season in franchise history. Otosaka’s game-opening leadoff homer is the second of his Revs career. York erased deficits of four runs and three runs to pull off the win. The Revs are 2-0 for the fifth time in club history and first time since 2018. It’s the first time they’ve opened with back-to-back wins on the road. York played back-to-back extra inning games for the first time since August of last season, and back-to-back games of 10 innings or longer for the first time since late in the 2022 season. They won back-to-back games in extra innings for the first time since September, 2021, and did so in consecutive games of 10 innings or longer for the first time since August 26-27, 2015. Revs pitchers struck out 17 batters in the game, tying the fourth highest single game total in club history and their most since whiffing 18 batters in a home game vs Gastonia on May 11, 2024. The 16 strikeouts by the bullpen is a new team record, topping the previous mark of 13 which came in a 13-inning win vs New Britain on July 17, 2016. The Revs have won their first road series of the year for the second consecutive year, both at Gastonia, and will go for their first ever sweep at CaroMont Health Park on Sunday at 4pm as lefty Jordan Morales faces Gastonia’s Connor Grey. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and on FloBaseball.TV beginning at 3:40 p.m.