Lancaster Stormers 7, Hagerstown Flying Boxcars 6
When Gerson Moreno struck out Tyler Williams in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 7-6 victory at Hagerstown, history was made.
The strikeout, with the tying run at third, sealed the 500th managerial win for skipper Ross Peeples, only the ninth manager to win that many in Atlantic League history.
Peeples was chased down with team members carrying an ice bucket following the win.
“I am very blessed to be in this situation,” said Peeples. “I have to thank My Lord and Savior for blessing me with this opportunity to be around some great people and to be part of a great organization. Mike (Reynolds) and Bob (Zuckerman) have been very good to me. I also have to thank my wife and kids with putting up with me for eight seasons and for the support they give me each and every day.”
In the process of getting Peeples the milestone victory, the Stormers also won their fifth straight series and took over first place in the North.
The win, specifically that final out, did not come easily. Moreno retired the first two batters of the ninth. Dante Leach lofted a fly ball toward the left field corner that looked to be the 27th out, but Evan Alexander lost control for a two-base error. Justin Acal drew a four-pitch walk to put the tying run at first, and Roidel Martinez, following a lengthy battle, singled into right field to second the tying run to third. Williams struck out on three pitches as Moreno picked up his second straight save and fourth of the season.
Lancaster had broken a 5-5 tie in the top of the eighth inning on consecutive two-out RBI singles to left by Mason Martin and Slater Schield. Both came on shallow pop flies that landed between left fielder Gary Mattis and the shortstop, Acal, off Mac Conklin (0-2).
The early lead belonged to the Stormers as Alexander followed walks to Joe Campagna and Daniel Amaral with a two-out triple to right center. Alexander scored a third run on a single into right by Yeison Coca.
Starter Noah Skirrow was nearly untouched for six innings, other than a quick burst in the fourth when Ossie Abreu doubled to right, and Joe DeLuca homered to right, cutting the lead to 3-2. Skirrow faced only three Hagerstown hitters in each of his other five innings, throwing his fifth quality start.
The Stormers scored a run in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Joseph Carpenter and Ariel Sandoval. Nick Ward picked up Alexander from third with a ground ball to produce a 5-2 lead.
That lead escaped in the seventh. Phil Diehl allowed singles to Cary Arbolida and Gary Mattis. Diehl picked up a second out when Bryce Cannon flied out to left, but Leach crushed a two-run double to left. Scott Engler replaced Diehl and fired two wild pitches in the midst of a walk to Acal, allowing the tying run to score.
Cody Stashak (2-0) was awarded the win with a perfect eighth inning, in which he struck out two.
The Stormers head home to face the High Point Rockers on Friday at 6:45. Michael McAvene (2-1) will make the start for the Stormers against right-hander Finn del Bonta-Smith (0-0). Fans may follow the action on FloBaseball, starting at 6:40.
NOTES: The Stormers are 7-7 in games that have been tied entering the final two scheduled innings…Alexander and Coca each had three-hit games…Alexander’s triple was the 10th for the team and only the fourth by someone other than Nick Lucky…Alexander also stole two bases in the game.
Lexington Legends (Kentucky Bourbon Barrells) 8, Gastonia Ghost Peppers 3
Lexington, KY – Tonight the Lexington Legends suited up as the Kentucky Bourbon Barrels, presented by Hartfield & Company Distillery, in front of over 2,000 on a rainy Thursday night, as they looked for the sweep against the visiting Gastonia Ghost Peppers. Wilton Castillo got the start for the Legends while Gastonia handed it to Duane Underwood Jr.
Castillo came out of the gates slinging as he struck out two of the first three batters he faced. Dylan Rock followed this up by hitting a lead-off moonshot that put the Legends on the board. Castillo tallied two more strikeouts in the second before Paul Winland found a sac hit to drive in Lexington’s second run of the game. Castillo continued to hold the Gastonia offense in the third as he tallied his fifth strikeout of the game in the third.
The Ghost Peppers were able to get on the board in the fourth; however, Eric De Rosa brought in Cole Roederer for Gastonia’s first run of the game. Lexington struck right back in the fourth with an RBI single from Paul Winland. The Legends continued to grow their lead in the fifth with a two-run blast from Brian Fuentes that made it a 5-1 ballgame. Gastonia would begin to chip away at the lead in the sixth when Cole Roederer came home on a wild pitch. However, Lexington picked the scoring right back up in the bottom of the sixth, starting with Paul Winland, who reached home on an error. This was followed by an RBI single from Xane Washington and a sac fly from Curtis Terry to make it 8-2 going into the final three frames.
Lexington made a pitching change in the 7th when Carson Lambert came in for relief, and he was able to put the Ghost Peppers down in order on strikeouts. The Legends’ defense continued to shine as they turned a double play in the eighth. The Ghost Peppers made things interesting in the ninth, plating one and putting two on base with just one out, but Jimmy Loper came in and slammed the door tight on the Gastonia bats.
Lexington secures the win 8-3 as they completed the sweep over Gastonia. The win is given to Wilton Castillo to improve his record to 5-6, and the save is given to Jimmy Loper as he earns his 2nd save of the season. The loss is given to Duane Underwood Jr. as his record goes to 3-2 on the season. Lexington improves to 5-3 in the second half, taking sole possession of first place in the South Division of the Atlantic League, while Gastonia falls to 2-7.
Tomorrow the Legends will host the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in a crucial battle for the South Division title, with the Blue Crabs just a half game behind. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM and it will be a special Christmas in July as the Legends Field celebrates winter early, already preparing for their Legends Festival of Lights coming this Winter. Fireworks will also be on display that Friday evening. Saturday, July 19th will be a special gate giveaway, with the first 1,000 fans through the gates receiving a Hunter Pence bobblehead as the Legends continue their 25th Anniversary celebration, thanks to our friends at Lexington Clinic. After the game fans will enjoy another round of the best fireworks in town, presented by the Kentucky Department for Health and Family Services.
High Point Rockers 22, York Revolution 12
High Point Rockers 10, York Revolution 8
YORK, Pa. – The High Point Rockers broke out their offense in record-setting fashion on Wednesday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader from the York Revolution at WellSpan Park. After winning the openerLancaster 22-12, the Rockers took the nightcap 10-8.
High Point and York had entered the game tied for the best overall record in the Atlantic League. After the sweep, the Rockers are now 46-26 while York slips to 44-28. The Rockers are 5-4 in the second half of the season.
The Rockers set club records for the most runs scored in a doubleheader, most DH sweeps in a season, and most grand slams in a season. In addition, the 22 first game runs were the second-most the Rockers have scored in a game and the 13-runs in the third inning of the opener was also the second-most in an inning. The 32 runs scored by High Point are the most-ever by the Rockers in a twinbill.
After taking a 7-0 lead in the first inning of the opener, the Revs retaliated with four runs in the first and three more in the second to tie the game at 7-7. But High Point sent 18 batters to the plate in the third inning, scoring 13 runs on eight hits with 13 consecutive hitters reaching base during one stretch.
Daniel Blair (W, 2-0) relieved starter Pat Gardner in the second inning and allowed three runs and seven hits over his 2.1 innings of work. York reliever Jordan Morales (L, 1-1) yielded four runs after coming into the game with two outs in the first in relief of starter Danny Denz. Rockers pitchers walked one and struck out seven
Every Rocker starter had at least one hit, an RBI and a run scored in the opener.
Game two started much the same way as game one with the Rockers scoring three runs in the top of the first, highlighted by an Alex Dickerson two-run homer. High Point added four runs in the third including another Dickerson two-run homer and a two-run triple by Nolan Watson. In the fifth, Braxton Davidson blasted a 467-foot two-run homer, the longest in the Atlantic League this season, as the Rockers took a 9-0 lead. In the top of the seventh, Ben Aklinski doubled and scored on a single by Watson for a 10-0 High Point advantage.
But the Revs rallied in the bottom of the seventh, touching Zach Vennaro for seven runs on seven hits to pull within 10-7. Rockers manager Jamie Keefe brought in Jameson McGrane with one out and the bases loaded. After allowing an RBI single, McGrane got York’s Frankie Tostado to pop out to second to end the game and secure High Point’s 10-8 win.
Ben Wereski, who signed with the Rockers on Thursday morning, went three innings in the start and allowed just three hits before yielding to Win Scott in the fourth. Scott (W, 2-0) allowed just one hit over his three innings of work and kept the Revs scoreless until the seventh.
On the day Aklinski went six-for-10 with six runs scored while Viera was five-for-10 with five RBI. Dickerson also drove in five runs on three hits in the twinbill.
The Rockers will now move 26 miles over to Lancaster and start a three-game series with the Stormers on Friday night at 6:45 p.m. at Penn Medicine Park.
NOTES: The Rockers eight hits in the first was one off the club record for hits in an inning. High Point had nine hits in the ninth inning of a 22-2 win at Spire City on July 29, 2023 . . . Max Viera’s third inning grand slam was his first slam of the season but set a club record as the ninth grand slam of the year for the Rockers . . . The 22 runs tied the aforementioned Spire City game for the second-most in a game by High Point . . . The record occurred in a 25-9 win at Lexington on July 20, 2022 . . . The 34 combined runs tied the club record previously set in the 25-9 win at Lexington . . . Ben Wereski, who signed with the Rockers Thursday morning and started game two, was pitching professionally for the first time since 2023 when he was a member of the Kansas City Royals organization. Wereski was an All-Ivy League pitcher at Columbia and pitched as a grad transfer at Rutgers . . . The Rockers have now swept all five doubleheaders they have played this season. The previous mark for most DH sweeps in a season had been three . . . The 32 runs scored in consecutive games mark the most in club history.
Long Island Ducks 8, Staten Island FerryHawks 3
(Staten Island, N.Y., July 17, 2025) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Staten Island FerryHawks 8-3 on Thursday morning in the rubber game of a three-game series at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.
The FerryHawks struck first in the third inning on a leadoff solo homer to right field by Alberto Osuna off Ducks starter Ryan Sandberg. Drew Maggi’s solo homer to center in the fourth doubled Staten Island’s lead to two.
The Ducks rallied to take a 4-2 lead in the fifth on an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of River Town, an RBI single by Ivan Castillo and a two-run double by Seth Beer. Kole Kaler’s RBI single down the left field line in the sixth gave the Flock a three-run advantage. JC Encarnacion’s RBI double to left and Justin O’Conner’s two-run double to left-center ballooned the lead to 8-2 in the seventh. Nicholas Decker’s ninth inning RBI single rounded out the scoring.
Sandberg (4-3) earned the win, tossing six innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out four. Matt Reitz (0-2) suffered the loss, surrendering four runs (three earned) on four hits in one inning with one strikeout. Staten Island starter Alex Mack took a no-decision but pitched four scoreless innings, yielding two this and walk while striking out six.
O’Conner led the Ducks offense with three hits, including two doubles, two RBIs and a run. Encarnacion added two hits, an RBI, two runs and two stolen bases, while Castillo added two hits, an RBI, a run and a steal.
The Ducks return home on Friday night 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). The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Portable Fans, courtesy of Sunrise Credit Services Inc. It’s also a Tap Room Friday, and Ducks staff members will be handing out coupons with a special offer to save $15 when spending $50 or more (dine-in) and one (1) free appetizer when spending $30 or more (delivery/pick-up) from The Tap Room to fans as they exit the ballpark. Right-hander Jonah Dipoto (1-2, 3.21) gets the start for the Ducks against Dirty Birds righty Kyle McGowin (2-5, 3.23).
Tickets to the game and all Ducks games are now available and can be purchased by visiting the ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE. Those unable to make the game can follow all the action live on FloBaseball. Sign up today by CLICKING HERE.
The Long Island Ducks are in their 25th Anniversary 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, have led all MLB Partner Leagues in total attendance for four consecutive seasons, and have sold out a record 715 games all-time. For further information, visit LIDucks.com or call 631-940-DUCK (3825).