High Point 8, Charleston 3
HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point’s Michael Martinez and Martin Figueroa combined for eight hits and four RBI in leading the Rockers to an 8-3 win over the Charleston Dirty Birds on Friday night at Truist Point. The win snapped Charleston’s eight-game winning streak.
Figueroa was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, banging out a pair of doubles, a single and a two-run homer. Martinez flew out in his first at-bat but then collected two doubles and two singles to account for his four-hit night.
The win put the Rockers (18-10) just a game back of Charleston (19-9) in the race for the South Division second half title.
Charleston took an early lead with a pair of runs off High Point starter Matt Solter (W, 1-1). Tillman Pugh led off the second inning with a double, moved to third on an infield out by Jared Carr then scored on a single by Rusber Estrada. Estrada then scored from first on a double by Jesus Tavarez.
But the Rockers scored eight unanswered runs to take a commanding 8-2 lead after eight innings. During a four-run outburst in the fourth, Ben Aklinski plated a run with a sac fly, Connor Owings delivered an RBI single and Martinez belted a two-run double.
Figueroa’s two-run homer in the fourth put the Rockers ahead 6-2. The score remained that way until Quincy Nieporte hit a mammoth home run to left with Figueroa aboard in the eighth to forge an 8-2 lead.
Charleston added a solo run in the eighth off reliever Jacob Edwards. With two outs, Willy Garcia doubled into the rightfield corner and then scored on a Tavarez single before Edwards ended the game by inducing a groundout to short by Juan Santana.
The Rockers will play the second game of the three-game series against the Dirty Birds on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. The Rockers will celebrate Mental Health Awareness Night with players wearing specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off for charity.
NOTES: Matt Solter earned his first win as a Rocker since beating Lexington on June 22, 2023… Nieporte is now six-for-12 in his three games as a Rocker… Figueroa was bidding to become the first Rocker with a cycle since Michael Russell on July 20, 2022 at Charleston. Figueroa doubled in the third, homered in the fourth, singled in the sixth and was held to a double in the eighth.
Long Island at York, Postponed
(August 9, 2024, York, Pa.) — This evening’s York Revolution game against the Long Island Ducks has been postponed due to unplayable field conditions. The game will be made up on Sunday, August 11, when the Revolution and Ducks will play two seven-inning games in a single-admission doubleheader at WellSpan Park beginning at 2 p.m.
Tickets for tonight’s game may be exchanged for tickets to any remaining regular season home game in 2024 (based on availability), including the make-up doubleheader.
Exchanges may be made in person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office at WellSpan Park or by calling the ticket office at (717) 801-HITS. On game days, the ticket office is open from 10 a.m. until the end of the fifth inning. On non-game-days, the hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Vouchers distributed for National Night Out for tonight’s game will be honored for the August 11 doubleheader. They may be exchanged in the Shipley Energy Ticket Office any time.
Lexington 5, Lancaster 3
The Lexington Legends executed their game perfectly on Friday evening and ended a nine-game losing streak, and Lancaster’s three-game win skein, with a 5-3 victory over the Stormers at Wild Health Field.
For Lexington, it was only their seventh win of the second half and 24th of the season, but you would not have known that on Friday. Legends pitchers limited Lancaster to one walk. Their defense was clean and, at times, outstanding. Three sacrifice bunts led to three runs.
They also capitalized on Lancaster mistakes. Two errors in the first three innings led to three unearned runs for Max Green (9-5).
Lancaster grabbed the early lead. Damon Dues led off with a double and scored on a two-out single to left by Mason Martin, the first of three hits for the first baseman.
However, the next five runs belonged to the Legends. Brady Whalen and Matt Bottcher matched the output of Dues and Martin to tie the game at 1-1 in the first. One-time Stormer Jacob Barfield picked up a walk on a 3-2 pitch from Green and went to second and J.T. Riddle chopped a single into right. Austin Bates advanced the runners with a bunt. Green hit Nilo Rijo with a pitch to load the bases.
Green would have escaped, except that Trace Loehr made a high throw to the plate on Korry Howell’s bouncer to third for a 2-1 lead. Whalen flied to shallow right for the second out, but Pedro Gonzalez picked up a walk, again on a 3-2 pitch, allowing another unearned run to score.
In the third, Kole Cottam walked, and Isan Diaz misplayed a grounder by Barfield. Again, the Legends bunted, and one run scored against the drawn-in infield when Bates smashed a single off Diaz’ glove.
Barfield added a homer to lead off the fifth.
Nic Laio (3-4) kept Lancaster at bay until the seventh inning when Chad Sedio led off with a double to right center and scored on a two-out single to the middle by Dues. Diaz doubled home Dues to cut the lead to 5-3.
Lexington’s bullpen held with Nick Gardewine notching his fourth save.
Lancaster will send Matt Swarmer (2-1) to the mound on Saturday against right-hander Wesley Scott (0-1). Fans may tune into the game on FloBaseball at 6:55.
NOTES: Dues had his 22nd multi-hit game as a Stormer…Martin had his fifth three-hit game…Lexington has won two straight meetings with the Stormers…The other was on May 5…Lancaster’s lead over York was cut to ½ game with the Revs rained out against Long Island…Adam Wibert fired two perfect innings of relief.
Southern Maryland 5, Gastonia 2
Hagerstown at Staten Island, postponed