Lancaster 9, Long Island 1
(Central Islip, N.Y., April 25, 2025) – The Long Island Ducks welcomed a crowd of 5,377 fans to Fairfield Properties Ballpark on Friday night for the opening game of the Ducks 25th Anniversary Season, presented by Catholic Health.
The first 1,500 fans in attendance for the game against the Lancaster Stormers received Ducks Home Pinstripe Replica Jerseys, courtesy of P.C. Richard and Son. Fans were also able to enjoy pregame team introductions for both teams and had the chance to see the Ducks brand new turf field in use for the first time during the regular season.
Long Island took an early lead in the game, as Taylor Kohlwey launched an opposite-field solo home run to left-center field in the second inning off Stormers starter Noah Skirrow. However, Lancaster jumped in front 2-1 in the fourth on Mason Martin’s solo homer to left and Kelly Dugan’s RBI single to center off Ducks starter John Gant. Alex Isola’s solo homer to left in the fourth and three-run innings for the visitors in the eighth and ninth rounded out the scoring.
Skirrow (1-0) earned the win, tossing five innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits while striking out five. Gant (0-1) took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks in four innings with five strikeouts. Mitchell Senger pitched two innings of one-run ball, while David Griffin pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning for the Flock.
The Ducks and Stormers continue their three-game series on Saturday night. 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). Prior to the game, the Ducks will host a 25th Anniversary Celebration, including highlights and ceremonial first pitches by team all-time greats Kevin Baez, Kraig Binick, Ray Navarrete and Lew Ford. Following the game, all fans in attendance will be treated to a Fireworks Spectacular. It’s also a Long Island MacArthur Airport Lucky Seat Saturday at the ballpark, and one lucky fan will win 40,000 Breeze Points, enough for two roundtrip tickets, from MacArthur Airport to a Breeze Airways nonstop destination.
High Point 6, Southern Maryland 4
WALDORF, Md. – The High Point Rockers jumped off to an early 3-0 lead, fell behind, and rallied for a 6-4 win on Opening Night in the Atlantic League on Friday at Southern Maryland.
Impressive pitching from the Rockers bullpen paved the way for the win along with timely offense. Lefty Jacob Edwards (1-0) earned the win with four innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit. Newcomer Tommy Doyle, a former Major League reliever with Colorado, pitched the final two innings, striking out five of the seven hitters he faced while pitching around a single. On the night, the Rockers’ staff allowed just four hits while striking out 10.
The Rockers sprinted to an early 3-0 lead. After Southern Maryland starter Shawn Semple struck out lead-off hitter Cody Wilson, Luis Gonzalez drew a walk. With two outs, Evan Edwards blasted a home run to right to stake the Rockers to a 2-0 lead. DH Max Viera then slapped his first professional base hit to left. He moved to third on a single by Drew Mendoza and scored on a single by D.J. Burt.
High Point starter Kyle Barraclough drew the Opening Night start and allowed only one hit while striking out three through the first two innings. But he ran into trouble in the third as he allowed the first five Blue Crabs to reach base on a single, two walks and two hit batters. Two more walks each forced in a run before Sam Dexter lifted a sac fly to give SMD a 4-3 lead.
High Point’s Ben Aklinski tied the game at 4-4 when he led off the fifth with a solo homer to left. Southern Maryland reliever Jalen Miller then walked Evan Edwards and hit Viera with a pitch to put two runners on. Drew Mendoza blooped a single to right to load the bases before catcher Isaiah Mirabal drew a walk to force in Evan Edwards and give the Rockers a 5-4 lead. Jacob Edwards entered in the fourth and went four strong innings, shutting down Southern Maryland.
The Blue Crabs brought in Rafi Vasquez in the eighth inning and Viera greeted him with a lead-off homer to left for his first professional homer and a 6-4 Rockers lead.
Doyle was nearly unhittable over the eighth and ninth innings, fanning five and earning the save in his Rockers debut.
NOTES: For the first time in Rockers history, manager Jamie Keefe started two professional rookies on Opening Night . . . DH Max Viera and catcher Isaiah Mirabal each made their professional debut . . . Viera collected his first professional hit and his first career homer . . . The Rockers on Thursday signed reliever Tommy Doyle, an MLB veteran, who made his ALPB debut on Friday night.
Staten Island 6, Hagerstown 1
York 5, Gastonia 4
GASTONIA, N.C. – The Gastonia Ghost Peppers fell in the season opener Friday night to York, 5-4 in 10 innings, in front of a sellout crowd at CaroMont Health Park.
3,017 spectators watched Richie Martin and Justin Wylie hit solo homers in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, to help force extras.
Each right-handed hitter hit deep drives well beyond the left-field wall, crushing the first Ghost Peppers long balls of the 2025 season.
York struck first and, despite the close contest that resulted in a 10th-inning victory, took the lead four separate times throughout the game. The Revolution got on the board in the second inning on a Jeffrey Wehler run-scoring triple, plating Jairus Richards.
The Ghost Peppers responded in the bottom of the second when Patrick Mazeika doubled down the right-field line and then scored on a Cole Roederer sac fly, making it 1-1 after two frames.
Gastonia got into some trouble in the fourth inning when starter Nick Wells allowed a couple baserunners, getting taken out of the game for Duane Underwood Jr. With the bases loaded, Revolution leadoff hitter Tomo Otosaka laid down a bunt single down the third-base line to give his team a 2-1 advantage. Underwood Jr. then induced a groundout to escape further damage.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Peppers got back-to-back doubles by their No. 8 and No. 9 hitters – Ethan Skender and Eric De La Rosa. The pair of two-baggers evened up the score, 2-2.
Richards took Underwood Jr. deep in the sixth, demolishing a ball 426 feet to straight-away center field to put the Revs back in front, 3-2. York took a 4-2 lead an inning later on Osvaldo Tovalin’s RBI single.
Martin and Wylie each hit their first homer of the season in back-to-back innings – both of which had the left fielder Richards stationary while watching the balls soar over 400 feet away from home plate.
After Wehler drilled a sacrifice fly to deep center in the top of the 10th, Gastonia was unable to respond in the bottom half, falling 5-4 on Opening Night.
Gastonia falls to 1-4 on Opening Day in franchise history, with the lone victory coming in 2023. The club has now suffered consecutive one-run defeats on Opening Day, losing 3-2 to Southern Maryland to kick off the 2024 season.
The Ghost Peppers will try to even the series on Saturday, with first pitch at 7 p.m.
Lexington 2, Charleston 1