York 17, So. Maryland 2
(June 30, 2024 – Waldorf, Md.): The York Revolution put together yet another dominant showing, annihilating the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 17-2 on Sunday afternoon at Regency Furniture Stadium.
Revs starter Aaron Fletcher carried a no-hitter into the seventh, combining on the second nine-inning one-hitter in team history while the offense reached the 17-run mark for the fourth time in the past 11 games.
York jumped to a big lead right away with four in the first inning against Atlantic League all-time wins leader Daryl Thompson who entered Sunday in search of his 100th ALPB victory.
Thompson recorded the first two outs, but after singles by Donovan Casey and Colton Welker, Jacob Rhinesmith slugged a two-run double to the gap in right center, and Trey Martin cracked a two-run homer to left for a quick 4-0 jump.
York added a run in the third as Rudy Martin Jr drilled a triple into the right field corner before scoring on Welker’s sac fly to center.
There was even greater two-out theater in the fourth. The Revs found themselves in danger of squandering Kobe Kato’s leadoff double, but after falling behind 0-2, Matt McDermott worked a full count before pounding an RBI single up the middle. That opened the floodgates as it was the first of eight two-out runs in the frame. Casey ripped a two-run single to center, moving past teammate David Washington for the league lead with 62 RBI. Welker ended Thompson’s day with a two-run homer to left-center as the lead ballooned to 10-0.
Reliever Kyle Arjona was far from immune to the onslaught as Rhinesmith greeted the righty with a base hit to left and Martin drove him home on a double to deep right center. Kato, who started the inning with a double, capped it off with a two-run homer to left-center as the Revs owned a 13-0 bulge.
The Revs poured on three more in the sixth as Kato drove an RBI double to left-center and McDermott and Martin Jr received bases loaded walks from Arjona.
Fletcher was razor sharp from the beginning and allowed just one baserunner, a fourth inning leadoff walk, through his first six frames.
After a leadoff walk in the seventh, Juan Kelly connected on a two-run homer to left to bust up the no-hit bid. Fletcher (5-2) blew away Miles Williams for his seventh strikeout before being lifted after 6.1 dominant innings.
Tom Sutera set down all five batters faced in relief while Aaron Holiday fired a perfect ninth to close out the combined one-hitter. It was the fourth one-hitter in Revs history and the first since a rain-shortened seven-inning edition in 2017. It marked the second nine-inning one-hit effort in franchise history with the other coming September 18, 2012 at Sugar Land in a complete game performance by Chris Waters.
Welker added an RBI single to left in the top of the eighth for the game’s final run, capping a 4-for-5, four-RBI day as he finished a triple shy of the cycle.
York’s second through seventh hitters in the order all had multiple hits and multiple runs, while the third through seventh hitters all had multiple RBI.
Notes: The Revs lead the league with 437 runs scored (7.4 per game), 57 ahead of the next closest team. The team record for runs per game is 6.4 set last season. Sunday was the Revs’ 16th double digit scoring performance of the year and 15th in the last 38 games. It is their 10th time scoring in the teens, all in the past 38 contests. They have scored 17 or more in four of the past 11 games, and the 8-run inning marked their fifth inning of at least seven runs in those 11 games. Rhinesmith (3-for-5) is now 22-for-42 (.524) on a nine-game hitting streak. Martin has hits in seven straight. Fletcher’s 6.0-inning no-hit bid came within one out of tying the longest in club history, 6.1 set by Brett Tomko in 2013 along with a pair of combined efforts (most recently May 29, 2022 at Lancaster). It was the longest solo bid since Ty’Relle Harris tossed six no-hit innings on May 6, 2017 at Somerset. At 39-20, the Revs have established the best 59-game start in club history by five games. The win is the 997th of Rick Forney’s managerial career. Thompson (2-9) falls to 10-15 lifetime against York.
Up Next: York hosts Lancaster Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to kick off a six-game homestand at WellSpan Park. Revs righty Jon Olsen squares off with Stormers right hander Matt Swarmer in the opener. It is Reading Royals Night as the first 500 fans get BOGO tickets to a Reading Royals game. It is also a WellSpan Sports Medicine Silver Sluggers Tuesday. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Lancaster 14, Long Island 4
For the second straight game, the Lancaster Stormers put up 14 runs against the Long Island Ducks.
The Stormers scored 11 runs on two-out hits or walks on Sunday afternoon to defeat Long Island, 14-4, in the finale of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
The barrage all began in the first against spot starter Bobby Vath (0-1). Vath loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single. The right-hander struck out Joseph Carpenter on a 3-2 breaking ball to the outside corner and went to 3-2 on Gaige Howard before the right field ripped a two-run double into the right field corner. Justin Farmer followed with a two-run single to left staking Noah Bremer (6-3) to a quick four-run lead.
Bremer had a control lapse to start the second, walking two and hitting a batter to load the bases. The right-hander coaxed a double play out of John Mead as one run scored. Kevin Higgins deposited a single into right center for a second run, but the Ducks never got to Bremer again over his six-inning stint.
Carpenter drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and knocked home two more with a double over Tyler Dearden’s head in left as the lead grew to 7-2.
A seven-run seventh, around a 15-minute rain delay, salted the game away for Lancaster. All runs scored with two outs with Damon Dues and Mason Martin producing two apiece.
Martin had three of Lancaster’s 14 hits while four others had two apiece.
The Stormers head to York for a three-game series starting Tuesday evening at 6:30. RHP Matt Swarmer (0-0) will take the hill for Lancaster against RHP Jon Olsen (6-0). Fans may tune into FloBaseball, starting at 6:25.
NOTES: Bremer picked up his fifth quality start and sixth win in 10 starts…Chris Proctor extended a hitting streak to eight games…Farmer has driven home nine runs in the last two games and 16 in the last seven contests…Gaige Howard had his 10th double in his last 16 games…Lancaster needs two more wins to clinch a .500 record and second place in the first half.
High Point 5, Charleston 1
HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point starter Ben Braymer threw six innings of two-hit baseball as an emotional Rockers team won the series finale from the Charleston Dirty Birds 5-1 on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point. Earlier in the day the club learned that team chairman Coy O. Williard, Jr. had passed away following a long battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
“Our players felt his presence here today,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe.
The Rockers players each work a “Coy” patch on their jerseys and a moment of silence was held prior to the game with Coy’s family in attendance.
Braymer (W, 3-2) opened the game by retiring the first nine batters he faced. He issued a lead-off walk to Clint Frazier in the top of the fourth before allowing his first hit, an infield single, with two outs in the fifth. He finished with nine strikeouts while allowing two hits and two walks in his six innings of work.
The Rockers took an early lead in the first inning after Connor Owings drew a walk to score Ben Aklinski. Aklinski advanced to first on a fielder’s choice and a pair of singles from Colin Moran and Jake Washer moved him to third.
In the third inning, Moran led off with a double and scored on a triple from Jake Washer. Washer was able to score on a sacrifice fly from Owings to push High Point’s lead to 3-0.
High Point tallied another run in the fourth inning for a 4-0 advantage. Ryan Grotjohn led off the inning with a single, stole second and third base and was able to score on an error when Charleston catcher Rusber Estrada tried to throw Grotjohn out at third. Estrada’s throw hit the bat of Aklinski and careened into foul territory, allowing Grotjohn to score.
Grotjohn’s solo homer in the eighth gave the Rockers a 5-0 lead.
Charleston did not score until the ninth inning when Keon Barnum smacked a solo home run. It was the only hit allowed by the Rockers bullpen over the final three innings.
The Rockers will enjoy an off-day on Monday and then start a three-game home series with the Gastonia Baseball Club. There will be postgame fireworks shows following each game on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Gastonia 7, Lexington 6
Hagerstown 6, Staten Island 3
The Hagerstown Flying Boxcars defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 6-3 at Meritus Park. A five-run fifth inning proved to be the game-changer, allowing Hagerstown to secure the win.
Staten Island took an early lead in the second inning when Kolby Johnson launched a solo home run off Hagerstown starter Mike Kickham. The FerryHawks extended their lead in the fifth with an RBI single from Castro, pushing the score to 2-1.
The Flying Boxcars turned the tide in the bottom of the fifth. Hagerstown’s offense erupted, highlighted by a two-run double from Joe Campagna and a two-run homer by Ozzie Abreu. Blake Berry capped the rally with a solo shot, giving Hagerstown a commanding 6-2 lead, as the Boxcars launched back to back homers for the first time ever at Meritus Park.
Kickham (4-4) earned the win, pitching six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, and striking out three. The bullpen, featuring Ramos, Klinchock, and Silven, held the FerryHawks at bay, conceding just one unearned run over the final three innings.