York 7, Lexington 6
(July 19, 2024 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution opened their series with the Lexington Legends on Friday night in a game that ended up being a nailbiter. York (51-24) managed to hold on, stifling a late Lexington rally to win 7-6 at WellSpan Park one game after concluding a seven-game winning streak.
Colton Welker delivered the excitement early, blasting a three-run home run over the batter’s eye in center field, a 435-foot shot for his 11th of the season spotting York a 3-0 lead three batters into the first inning.
Matt Bottcher started the second inning for Lexington by working a 15-pitch walk against York starter Jon Olsen. After stealing second, Bottcher notched Lexington’s first run on a Mikey Reynolds two-out single to right.
Michael Berglund doubled to lead off York’s half of the second inning and eventually scored on a double play to put York up 4-1.
The Legends started the fourth inning with three hard hit singles off of Olsen, the third being an RBI by JT Riddle to cut their deficit to 4-2. Right fielder Donovan Casey prevented another run when he fired a missile to nail Pedro Gonzalez at the plate attempting to score on a fly out.
The bottom of the fifth inning saw a scary scene when Welker fell to the ground after completing a swing on a flyout to deep center and was helped off of the field via a cart.
After threatening in both the fourth and fifth innings but not scoring, York finally broke through to pad the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Berglund drove in a run with a single but was cut down trying to take second on a throw to the plate. With two outs, Alfredo Reyes and Alexis Pantoja both reached on singles, and both scored when Matt McDermott dropped a two-run double into shallow right field, extending the lead to 7-2.
Olsen cruised through a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a pair of strikeouts.
In the eighth, Korry Howell (3-for-4) led off the frame with a double off of the Nemesis. Olsen got a flyout and punchout, but Bottcher came through again for the Legends with his third hit of the night, this time a double to score Howell and chase Olsen (8-1) from the game.
Denny Bentley relieved him, and it only took two pitches to get out of the inning when Berglund threw out Bottcher trying to advance to third on a ball in the dirt.
The Legends loaded the bases with one out against closer Brett Schulze and scored a run on a wild pitch. Luis Hernandez knocked in a run with a single off of the Nemesis before Howell walked to again load the bases in a 7-5 game. Lexington scored another run on a groundout, before yet another walk to Kole Cottam loaded the bases. With the lead slashed to 7-6, York turned to Frankie Bartow who retired Bottcher (3-for-4) for the first time all night, getting a game ending ground ball to second base for his fourth save as the Revs held on for the win in the series opener.
York will look for the series win on Saturday night when they send Zach Neff (5-4) to the hill against Lexington’s Justin Miller (1-5) at 6:30 p.m. The night features Post-Game Fireworks presented by PA Lottery. It is Penn State Night presented by Shipley Energy featuring an appearance by Beau Pribula, and it is Shipley Energy Customer Appreciation Night. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: Rudy Martin Jr stole his league leading 51st base, bringing him four shy of the franchise single-season record set by Wilson Valdez (2014) and Darien Sanford (2021). McDermott came a home run shy of the cycle and became the league’s first to 100 hits on the season (now 102). Olsen threw 92 pitches for 73 strikes, striking out seven while walking one. He entered the start with a league high 6.75 K/BB ratio. His 7.2 innings established a new career-high while his eighth win tied teammate Ethan Lindow and two others for the league lead. Casey extended his league high on-base streak to 32 games with a third inning walk but lost his 13-game hit streak; his 31-game streak entering the game was tied with Long Island’s Jackie Bradley Jr for the longest (Bradley’s streak was also active entering the day). Welker now has a 14-game hitting streak; he now has 23 extra-base hits including nine home runs with 44 RBI over his last 28 games. Schulze was charged with three runs after working scoreless ball in each of his first four appearances. The Revs’ bullpen had allowed just two runs in 27 innings over the previous six games. York played error-free defense for the seventh consecutive game, their longest streak since 2019 and two games shy of matching a club record.
Charleston 7, Gastonia 2
(Charleston, WV – July 19, 2024) – The Dirty Birds took game one from Gastonia Friday night. The Dirty Birds are now just one game back from first place. Charleston starter Stevie Ledesma earned his third win of the season. He threw a season high seven inning and allowed two earned runs off four hits. He walked one hitter and struck out three.
The Dirty Birds combined for nine hits and three of those were extra base hits. Philip Ervin hit his eighth home run of the season and his 16th double of the year. Jared Carr hit his seventh home run of the season.
The Dirty Birds host Gastonia for game two of the three-game series tomorrow at 6:35pm.
Lancaster 12, Staten Island 6
Lancaster’s lineup knocked out 17 hits on Friday night, and Matt Swarmer struck out 10, as the Lancaster Stormers opened a three-game series with a 12-6 victory over the Staten Island FerryHawks at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
With the win, the Stormers (10-2) maintained a two-game lead over the York Revolution in the North Division’s second half.
The Stormers reached Staten Island starter William Kirwan for five runs in the second inning. Mason Martin led off with a booming home run to right. Gaige Howard and Joseph Carpenter reset the tables with singles. Shawon Dunston, Jr. ripped a base hit to right, scoring Howard. Carpenter also came home, and Dunston raced to third as the play was mishandled by Kolbi Johnson for a two-base error. Trace Loehr drove home Dunston with a one-out single to left, stole second and scored on an Isan Diaz double into the right field corner.
Swarmer (2-1) yielded an unearned run in the second and maintained a 6-1 lead into the seventh inning. Staten Island rallied on singles by Ben Norman and Johnson and a would-be sacrifice fly lost in the twilight sky. Swarmer struck out Kyle Dernedde for his 10th of the night, and Howard made a diving catch on a liner by Nate Scantlin to close out the inning.
The gap narrowed again in the top of the eighth with two runs off Adam Wibert. Pablo Sandoval doubled to left and scored on a single by Luis Castro. The Stormers defense failed to turn a double play on a grounder by Alejandro de Aza, and Norman made them pay with a double to right center to cut the lead to 6-4. Phil Diehl was summoned, and the lefty struck out Johnson to end the threat.
Lancaster put the game away with six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, the fifth time in six games that the Stormers have scored six or more in one frame.
Brady Tedesco (0-2) will make the start for the Stormers on Saturday evening against right-hander Mike Shawaryn (5-5). Fireworks will follow. Fans may tune into FloBaseball at 6:40.
NOTES: Lancaster had not allowed an earned run in 27 innings before the run in the seventh…Diaz, Dunston and Howard had three hits each…Dunston is batting .357 since June 4, and Howard is hitting .375 since June 6…Diaz has hit safely in seven straight… Swarmer became the second Lancaster pitcher to fan 10 in a game this season, joining Nile Ball, who struck out 11 on May 21.
Long Island 10, Hagerstown 5
(Central Islip, N.Y., July 19, 2024) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars 10-5 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
Long Island took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ryan McBroom against Hagerstown starting pitcher Anthony Rodriguez. Hagerstown tied the game at one in the second on Osmy Gregorio’s leadoff home run to left centerfield off Ducks starter Mike Montgomery.
The Ducks jumped back out in front 3-1 in the third thanks to a two-run home run to right centerfield off the bat of Jackie Bradley Jr. as the outfielder extended his hitting streak to a franchise record 26 consecutive games overall. The Flock batted around in the fourth and scored three times for a 6-1 advantage highlighted by an RBI infield single from Kole Kaler and a bases loaded walk issued to Ryan McBroom. Long Island made it 9-1 in their favor in the fifth on a JC Encarnacion RBI base hit, a Nick Heath run-scoring fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly by Ivan Castillo. After Hagerstown scored four times in the sixth to get to within 9-5, Aaron Antonini put the icing on the cake one half inning later with a leadoff four-bagger to right.
Montgomery (3-4) picked up the win, giving up five runs on six hits (one home run) over five and one-third innings pitched, walking two while striking out five. Rodriguez (0-4) was tagged with the loss, surrendering six runs on seven hits (one home run) in four innings of work, walking four and striking out a pair.
Bradley Jr. reached base three times with a home run and two walks, and Castillo chipped in with three hits, a run scored, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly.
The Ducks and Flying Boxcars 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). Following the game, all fans in attendance will be treated to a Fireworks Spectacular, presented by Flagstar Bank. It’s also a Long Island MacArthur Airport Lucky Seat Saturday! During the game, one lucky fan will win two round trip tickets on Breeze Airways to any of their six non-stop destinations from MacArthur Airport. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (3-5, 6.81 gets the start for the Ducks against Flying Boxcars right-hander Gunnar Groen (0-2, 7.61).
Southern Maryland 2, High Point 0
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Three Southern Maryland pitchers combined to throw a five-hit shutout as the Blue Crabs downed the High Point Rockers 2-0 on Friday night in front of a crowd of 2,135 at Truist Point.
Spencer Johnston (W, 5-1) went seven innings and struck out nine for SMD while walking just one. Johnston retired the final seven hitters he faced before exiting before the top of the eighth. Jason Creasy and Endrys Briceno (S, 10) hurled the final two innings and did not allow a base runner. High Point didn’t land a base runner after Connor Owings drew a two-out walk in the fifth.
The Rockers loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth but Johnston struck out Quincy Latimore to escape the jam.
Matt Solter (L, 0-1), activated earlier in the day, pitched very respectably, allowing just four hits over his six innings while walking three and fanning four.
The Blue Crabs tallied a single run in the third when Aaron Hill singled, stole second, and scored on a single by Caleb Marquez. In the sixth, Juan Kelly worked a two-out walk from Solter, stole second, and scored on a single by Miles Williams.
Ben Aklinski had three of High Point’s five hits. He was stranded in the first after a single, was left on base after a two-out double in the third and singled in the fifth.
Game two of the series is scheduled for a 6:35 start on Saturday at Truist Point. It will be Ben Aklinski Bobblehead Night with the first 1,000 fans receiving a free Bobblehead of Aklinski.