Gastonia 8, Charleston 2
(Charleston, WV – June 21, 2024) – The Dirty Birds had a hot start with Clint Frazier’s lead off home run in the bottom of the first inning. That lead was short lived as Gastonia made it a tied ballgame in the third and took a four-run lead in the fourth inning. Charleston left-handed starter allowed those four runs to take his third loss of the year.
The Dirty Birds did not record a hit in innings three through seven thanks to light out pitching by Gastonia. They allowed two runs off four hits and four walks while striking out nine.
The Dirty Birds host Gastonia for game two of the three-game series tomorrow at 6:35pm.
Staten Island 11, Lexington 2
The Staten Island FerryHawks took game one of the weekend series against the Lexington Legends with a final score of 11-2 here in SIUH Community Park.
Lexington pounced early in the top of the 1st inning taking a quick 1-0 lead. The score would remain the same until the bottom of the third where the FerryHawks would take over.
The Hawks plated three runs off a Luis Castro RBI single and a bases loaded walk from Drew Maggi and Abiatal Avelino. In the following inning, the Hawks extended the lead to 6-1 off two doubles and a single from Ben Norman, Luis Castro and Drew Maggi.
Staten Island continued the scoring in the bottom of the 6th inning off a sac fly by Abiatal Avelino and a wild pitch to extend the lead to 8-1. In the bottom of the 7th, the Hawks would score three more runs via RBIs from Drew Maggi and Matt Scheffler. The Legends would score 1 run in the top of the 9th, to make the game 11-2, the final in this contest.
Aaron Leasher pitched a gem of a ballgame throwing for 6 innings and striking out 8 while only giving up 2 hits and 1 run. Leasher was relieved by a trio of Brian McKenna, Robbie Baker and Nate Griep who combined for 3 innings pitched with 0 earned runs, 3 hits and 4 strikeouts.
Tomorrow, the FerryHawks look to continue their recent success with another showdown beginning at 6:30. Tonight’s contest will be highlighted with a special firework spectacular to officially kick-off summer on Staten Island!
York 18, Lancaster 7
(June 21, 2024 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution used three massive innings and a trio of three-run homers to power themselves to a series opening 18-7 win over the Lancaster Stormers on Friday night at WellSpan Park.
York once again fell behind early, beginning in the second inning. Gaige Howard led off the frame with his first home run of the season on a drive to right off of Zach Neff, and another run was added on a passed ball to make it an early 2-0 Stormer advantage.
York used a big third inning to jump ahead against Stormers starter Carsie Walker. Donovan Casey singled home a run and Rudy Martin Jr scampered home on a wild pitch to even the score. Jacob Rhinesmith capped off the big inning with a three-run blast to right field, solidifying a 5-2 advantage, a lead that York would not surrender all night.
Lancaster threatened in the top of the fourth when Chris Proctor was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. With two outs, Jordan Howard lifted a long fly ball to right-center field, but Casey elevated at the wall to rob the potential homer with a spectacular grab.
The bottom of the fourth inning followed a similar script to the third for York. Two runs scored on fielder’s choices before Colton Welker blasted yet another three run shot on a towering drive to left center, making it 10-2.
Neff was chased from the game in the fifth after runs scored on a single from Shawon Dunston Jr, a sac fly by Trace Loehr, and a wild pitch. Alex Valverde inherited two runners, but the threat was cut down when Michael Berglund threw out Proctor trying to steal third base.
Kobe Kato reached on a walk in the bottom of the fifth and stole second base, advancing to third when nobody covered the bag for Lancaster on the throw. It was Kato’s 24th steal in as many attempts, breaking a franchise record that Martin Jr had set just two weeks earlier for consecutive successful stolen bases, breaking a record that had previously stood since 2009. Kato scored on Matt McDermott’s league leading sixth triple, a gapper to right center, which put the Revs up 11-5.
Will Stewart came on in relief in the sixth inning and Lancaster put two runners on with two outs. The Stormers proceeded to attempt a double steal. Berglund’s throw sailed into left field allowing a run to score, but a perfect relay by Rhinesmith and Alfredo Reyes cut down Justin Farmer at the plate for the final out.
Lancaster reliever Jackson Rees retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the sixth, but the floodgates soon opened for the Revs offense. Welker worked a walk and scored two batters later on a single from Reyes. Kato followed with a run scoring single of his own, and Berglund doubled home a pair to the base of the wall in right center field. Two batters later, Martin Jr blasted York’s third three-run homer of the night into the playground in left center, capping off their second seven-run inning in the past three nights, which made it 18-6.
Stewart faced the minimum in the seventh and eighth innings but was lifted with two outs in the ninth. Will Carter allowed an inherited runner to score on a Joseph Carpenter single before punching out Proctor to end the game with an 18-7 final. Stewart (1-3) was awarded the win in relief, allowing just one hit over 3.2 innings.
The win increases York’s division lead to seven games and drops their magic number to clinch the first half to six.
Notes: The seven run sixth inning tied the biggest single inning by the York offense this season, matching their seven run second inning on Wednesday against Hagerstown. York improves to 33-18, having won four straight and eight of nine overall. Their seven-game lead matches the largest division lead in franchise history, previously enjoyed on September 21, 2008. The Revs have won 10 of 11 at home, improving to 15-9 at WellSpan Park. York is 22-11 against the North Division including a 6-1 mark in the season’s War of the Roses series. Stewart allowed two runs (one earned), his first runs in 10.1 innings over four outings since moving to the bullpen; he allowed just one hit and has yielded only three total hits in relief. The 18 runs are the Revs’ most in a game since an 18-3 win at Long Island on June 1, 2023. It is their most runs scored in a home game since July 27, 2022 in a 19-1 win vs Charleston, and their most in a game against Lancaster since an 18-2 win on June 4, 2021 at Clipper Magazine Stadium. McDermott (3-for-4) reached base each of his first five times including his league-leading sixth triple. Martin Jr (3-for-4, homer, four RBI) now has a nine-game hitting streak and stole two bases, becoming the league’s first to 30 steals (now 31). Casey extended his hitting streak to 13 games and drove in two runs, pulling even with teammate David Washington for the league lead (52).
Up Next: York hosts Lancaster on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with RHP Michael Horrell (2-2, 4.37) facing Lancaster righty Jack Labosky (3-2, 2.81). It is Jeep Night presented by PA Jeeps, Post-Game Fireworks presented by Explore York, Buck-A-Book Reading Program, and WellSpan Wellness Weekend: Heart & Vascular. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Long Island 5, Hagerstown 3
(Central Islip, N.Y., June 21, 2024) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars 5-3 on Friday evening in the opener of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
Hagerstown took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a run-scoring single by Ozzie Abreu off Long Island starter Stephen Woods Jr. The Ducks jumped ahead 5-1 a half inning later on RBI singles by Ivan Castillo and Scott Kelly, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Manuel Geraldo, and a two-run base hit from Tyler Dearden versus Flying Boxcars starter Marvin Gorgas.
The visitors got to within 5-2 in the fourth by way of a Dariel Gomez leadoff home run to right field. Hagerstown trimmed the deficit to 5-3 in the sixth on an Andrew Moritz RBI groundout. The Long Island bullpen quartet of Nick Fanti, Sam Delaplane, Miguel Guerrero and Matt Seelinger would prevent a Hagerstown comeback from taking place, with Seelinger shutting the door in the ninth frame as the right-hander struck out the final two batters he faced for his team-leading tenth save of the season and second in as many nights as the Ducks totaled 16 strikeouts as a staff, matching a season-high which last took place on Opening Night April 25th in a 6-2 triumph over the Lancaster Stormers also here on the Duck Pond.
Woods Jr. (3-3) picked up the win, allowing two runs on six hits across five innings pitched, walking two and striking out nine. Gorgas (1-5) was tagged with the loss, surrendering five runs on seven hits in six innings pitched, walking three and striking out four.
Castillo led the way at the plate for Long Island with a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored as the infielder has now collected 11 multi-hit games on the season.
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 Sands New York. 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 Jimmy Robbins (1-2, 6.60) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Flying Boxcars right-hander Yoelvin Silvers (0-0, 0.00).
High Point 5, So. Maryland 3
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 win against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in front of a crowd of 1,911 at Truist Point on Friday night. Rockers’ starter Cam Bedrosian (W, 3-0) held the Blue Crabs to a six scoreless innings while striking out a career-best 11.
The Rockers grabbed an early lead in the first inning after Ben Aklinski blasted a three-run homer to score Evan Edwards and Ryan Grotjohn. Grotjohn had reached on a leadoff single and Edwards followed with a double to set the table for Aklinski’s 11th homer of the year.
The Blue Crabs failed to score after loading the bases with nobody out in the second inning. Juan Kelly singled followed by a walk to Josh Broughton and Bedrosian hit Miles Williams with a pitch. Bredrosian then struck out Aaron Hill, Matt Hibbert and Isaias Quiroz to escape the jam.
In the second frame, Grojohn was walked and Evan Edwards smacked his sixth home run of the year, giving High Point a 5-0 advantage.
Southern Maryland loaded the bases with two outs in the third inning but could not score after Bedrosian struck out Miles Williams.
Bedrosian exited after six innings, having allowed just three hits and a pair of walks while fanning 11. David McKay pitched around a single and a walk in the seventh to keep the Blue Crabs scoreless.
Trailing 5-0 in the ninth, Southern Maryland loaded the bases against High Point reliever Jacob Edwards on a pair of walks and an infield error. Jameson McGrane came on and stuck out Brandon Pugh before allowing a bases-clearing double to Michael Wielansky. McGrane fanned Anthony Brocato for the final out to earn his 10th save of the year.
Ian Kahaloa (L, 4-5) took the loss, allowing six hits and five runs over five innings with two walks and six strikeouts.
Gastonia (36-15) defeated Lexington 8-2 on Friday night to maintain a four-game lead over the Rockers (32-19) in the Atlantic League’s South Division pennant race. There are 12 games remaining before the first half closes on July 5.
The second game of this three game series against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs is slated for a 6:35 p.m start on Saturday, June 22nd.