Private: Atlantic League Results, Friday, June 28, 2024

Gastonia 17, Lexington 15

The Gastonia Baseball Club defeated Lexington in a 17-15 slugfest Friday night, punching its ticket to the 2024 postseason.

Gastonia entered the day up five games over High Point with seven games remaining in the opening half. With a Rockers loss, the Club was able to hang on to defeat the Legends, becoming first half champions of the South Division.

Gastonia improved to 40-17 in doing so, becoming the second ALPB team to win 40+ games in four out of five halves. The other team to accomplish the feat was Somerset from 2013-2015.

How did the Club secure a spot in the playoffs? Aside from walking off seven times and owning a 5-1 record against High Point, the answer is simple: it steamrolled teams, especially due to the offense over the past month.

Gastonia has a +118 run differential in the 57 games. The Club hit its 100th home run of the season on Friday night, 17 more than the next closest offense. The team has an .863 OPS and .494 SLG, each the highest in the Atlantic League.

And the numbers get even better when looking at the offensive stats in June:

.308 BA

.977 OPS

52 home runs

179 RBIs

46 stolen bases

Gastonia has led the league in BA, OPS and homers this month. It’s second in RBIs and stolen bases, with York leading the way in those categories.

The Club’s win over Lexington on Friday to clinch a postseason berth was akin to the team’s offensive performance over the past month.

Gastonia scored 17 runs on 16 hits, crushing four homers and completing a comeback victory.

Kevin Watson Jr. set the tone for the game, pulling a deep home run to right field and getting Gastonia off to a 1-0 lead.

With Gastonia trailing 6-3 in the sixth inning, Watson Jr. hit his second homer of the night – an opposite-field three-run shot to tie the game.

There’s no stat for a “perfect game” as a hitter like there is for a pitcher, but Watson Jr. was as perfect as you can be on Friday.

The Gastonia leadoff hitter reached in all seven plate appearances in the series opener. His trips to the plate were as follows: Home run (solo), walk, single, home run (three-run), hit by pitch, walk, walk.

Gastonia scored six in the sixth, but the Legends answered to tie it up in the bottom half of the frame. The game was 9-9 heading to the eighth. At this point, High Point had just lost to Charleston, 7-4. The magic number was down to one, so Gastonia was in with a win.

Justin Wylie put Gastonia ahead, drilling a ball deep to left to give the Club a 10-9 lead with his team-leading 17th of the year.

Lexington responded immediately, as Kole Cottam hit one of three homers he walloped in the contest to make it 10-10.

Three Gastonia hitters had already scored off Carlos Martinez in the ninth before Eric De La Rosa hit the team’s 100th home run of the season. The right fielder’s two-run shot made it 15-10, part of a seven-run top of the ninth.

Lexington scored five in the bottom of the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate before Gabe Klobosits entered and recorded the final two outs.

It took 3 hours and 49 minutes, but Gastonia took care of business and wrapped up the first half championship. The team will now get to decide whether the first two games of the South Division Championship Series in September will be played at CaroMont Health Park or at the opponent’s stadium.

Southern Maryland 7, York 3

(June 28, 2024 – Waldorf, Md.): The York Revolution dropped their series opener to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, 7-3 on Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.

York trailed the entire way after falling behind early.

Southern Maryland plated two runs in the first on four singles. Anthony Ray sliced a two-run knock to left, driving in the game’s first two runs.

That lead doubled with a pair of unearned runs off York starter Michael Horrell (2-3) in the third as a walk and an error set the table. Following an advancement on a passed ball, runs scored on a Miles Williams ground out and on a wild pitch as it became a 4-0 game.

Crabs starter Shawn Semple retired 10 straight after allowing a leadoff double to Matt McDermott to open the game. Donovan Casey ended that streak of hitters retired with a one-out walk in the fourth. After stealing second and advancing on an error, Casey scored on David Washington’s league-leading 60^th RBI, a ground out to get the Revs on the board with a 4-1 deficit.

Southern Maryland got that run back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Juan Kelly, making it a 5-1 game.

York battled close in the sixth as Rudy Martin Jr singled to left and Casey slugged an RBI triple to deep right for his 59^th RBI, one behind Washington for the league lead. Washington walked to chase Semple (2-6), and Colton Welker greeted reliever Jason Creasy with a sac fly to deep center, plating Casey with his league-leading 57^th run scored as the Revs pulled within 5-3.

The sac fly was the first of seven straight hitters retired by Creasy, however, as the setup man went 2.2 innings, preventing the Revs from drawing even.

Southern Maryland added two insurance runs off reliever Will Carter in the eighth, scoring on a Michael Wielansky ground out and on a base hit by Williams.

Endrys Briceno closed it for the Crabs, stranding a pair in a scoreless ninth.

York falls to 37-20, having dropped back-to-back games for the first time since June 9-11. They had lost just once in the previous 13 contests and still own the best record by three wins through 57 games in club history, ahead of the 2014 club.

Notes: McDermott’s game-opening double was his league-leading 80^th hit. Washington’s RBI added to his club record for RBI in a month, now with 34 in the month of June. Welker was ejected by home plate umpire Marty Bauer in the ninth for arguing a strike out assessed due to a pitch timer violation. Jacob Rhinesmith went 2-for-4 and is now 23-for-47 over his last 10 games, good for an average of .489. In addition to his RBI triple and scoring twice, Casey cut down a potential run at home plate, nailing Ray trying to score from third on a fly ball to right in the bottom of the fifth. Denny Bentley worked 1.1 scoreless innings out of the York bullpen. The Revs are 2-2 against the Blue Crabs on the season. York lefty Ethan Lindow (5-4) faces Southern Maryland right hander Garrett Martin (4-3) on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and FloBaseball.TV beginning at 6:15 p.m.

Long Island 8, Lancaster 3

(Lancaster, Pa., June 28, 2024) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Lancaster Stormers 8-3 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Aaron Antonini’s two-out RBI double to right-center field off Stormers starter Brady Tedesco gave the Ducks a 1-0 first inning lead. Chance Sisco added a two-out RBI double of his own to right-center in the third, doubling the Ducks lead.

A five-run sixth inning extended Long Island’s advantage to 7-0. Sisco’s two-run home run to right, Antonini’s solo homer to right and JC Encarnacion’s two-run double to left highlighted the inning. Trace Loehr got Lancaster on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer to right off Ducks starter Jimmy Robbins.

Chris Proctor added a two-run inside-the-park home run to left field in the seventh, closing the gap to 7-3. Encarnacion rounded out the scoring in the ninth with a leadoff solo homer to left.

Robbins (3-2) earned the win, tossing seven innings of three-run ball, allowing four hits while striking out seven batters. Tedesco (0-1) took the loss, conceding two runs on four hits in four innings with two strikeouts. Nick Fanti closed the game with two scoreless innings for the Ducks, striking out five batters.

Encarnacion and Sisco led the Flock offensively with two hits, three RBIs and a run each. Antonini added two hits, two RBIs and a run, while Jackie Bradley Jr. chipped in with two hits and two runs.

The Ducks and Stormers continue their three-game set on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. at Clipper Magazine Stadium. Fans can follow all the action live on FloBaseball by CLICKING HERE. Right-hander Daniel Corcino (2-3, 5.07) takes the mound for the Ducks against Stormers southpaw Max Green (3-4, 6.00).

Long Island returns home on Tuesday, July 2, to begin a three-game series against the Charleston Dirty Birds. 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 the Haugland Group. It’s also a Francesco’s Trattoria Tuesday and a Triple Play Tuesday at the ballpark. If the Ducks turn a triple play during the game, one lucky fan will be a grand prize winner of $25,000. Tickets for the game, and all Ducks games, are available by visiting the Fairfield Properties Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE.

The Ducks are in their 24th season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip, N.Y. They are the all-time leader in wins and attendance in Atlantic League history, led all MLB Partner Leagues in attendance in 2023, and have sold out a record 708 games all-time. For further information, visit LIDucks.com or call 631-940-DUCK (3825).

Charleston 7, High Point 4

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Charleston Dirty Birds erased an early 2-0 deficit and went on to post a 7-4 win over the High Point Rockers at Truist Point on Friday night in front of a crowd of 2,046.

The Rockers took an early lead 2-0 in the second inning. Fritz Genther and DJ Burt walked then advanced on a wild pitch from Charleston starter Mack Lemieux (W, 1-3). Ryan Grotjohn laced a two RBI single to score Genther and Burt.

Charleston erased that deficit in the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead over the Rockers. Jonathan Soto drew a walk to lead off the inning and Juan Santana followed with a single. Clint Frazier was hit by a pitch before Jared Carr slapped an RBI single to score Soto. Willy Garcia’s two-run single scored Frazier and Santana and put Charleston in front.

High Point loaded the bases in the sixth inning but could not bring in a runner. Connor Owings reached on a fielder’s choice and Jake Washer followed with a double. DJ Burt was walked by Charleston reliever Edison Suriel. The Rockers left the bases loaded when Ryan Grotjohn struck out.

The Dirty Birds were able to advance their lead in the eighth inning for 4-2. Philip Ervin led off the inning with a double and then stole third base. Soto was hit by a pitch from Zach Vennaro before stealing second. AJ Orrico walked to load the bases before Vennaro walked in a run by issuing a free pass to Philip Ervin.

Charleston’s Rusber Estrada smacked a three-run homer in the ninth to give the Dirty Birds a 7-2 advantage. A pair of homers from Ben Aklinski and Colin Moran in the ninth cut into the deficit and accounted for the 7-2.

The second game of the series between the Rockers and the Dirty Birds is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Saturday night at Truist Point.

Hagerstown 9, Staten Island 4

League Directory

Charleston Dirty Birds Spire City Ghost Hounds Gastonia Baseball Club High Point Rockers Hagerstown Flying Boxcars Lancaster Stormers

Lexington Legends Long Island Ducks Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Staten Island Ferry Hawks York Revolution