Lexington 2, Charleston 1
In a low-scoring pitcher’s duel, the Lexington Legends managed to squeak out a narrow 2-1 victory over the Charleston Dirty Birds, completing a tight contest that showcased strong pitching on both sides.
Game Highlights:
- Fourth-Inning Breakthrough: Lexington scored both of their runs in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a Charleston error and a clutch RBI from Colin Burgess.
- Charleston’s Response: Charleston answered in the bottom half of the fourth with a single run driven in by Tyler Hill, but that would be all they could muster.
- Bullpen Brilliance: Both bullpens delivered, with Lexington’s relievers combining for four scoreless innings and Jonathan Haab securing his first save of the season.
Key Performances:
- Lexington Legends: o Brady Whalen: 1-for-2, 3 BB, SB, 1 R. o Colin Burgess: 0-for-3, RBI, BB. o Patrick Wicklander: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K (W, 3-0). o Jonathan Haab: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K (S, 1).
- Charleston Dirty Birds: o J.J. Matijevic: 2-for-3, BB, SB. o Zach Daniels: 1-for-4, 1 R. o Kyle McGowin: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K (L, 0-3).
Notable Stats:
- Lexington’s patient approach resulted in eight walks, with Brady Whalen reaching base four times.
- Charleston hitters struck out 13 times, struggling against Lexington’s pitchers in key moments.
- Both teams turned stellar defensive plays, including three double plays during the game.
York 11, Hagerstown 5
(May 8, 2025 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution treated a Baseball in Education Day crowd to a big offensive show, defeating the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, 11-7 on Thursday in front of 3,638 fans at WellSpan Park. The Revs win the rubber match in the series to close out their opening homestand, their third series win in four tries to begin the season.
Not only did the offense break out, but Revs starter Foster Pace (2-1) turned in an excellent outing to earn his second win.
York put together its second biggest inning of the season, scoring five times in the third to build a 5-0 lead. Jeffrey Wehler started it all with a leadoff single and Ryan Higgins opened the scoring with a deep triple to center that was misplayed by Rabel Colon. With one out, Jalen Miller squibbed a roller past Dilan Rosario for a rare infield double, outhustling the Boxcars for the loose ball as he bolted to second, driving in Higgins on the play. Frankie Tostado singled to left and William Simoneit was hit by a pitch to load the bases, setting up Osvaldo Tovalin for a sac fly to right, plating the third run. Alerick Soularie walked to reload the basepaths and Brandon Lewis walked to force home another run. Wehler capped the uprising with his second hit of the inning, an RBI single to left to finalize the five-spot.
Pace yielded just one hit through three scoreless frames and made perhaps his only mistake of the day with two outs in the fourth as Osvaldo Abreu connected on a two-run homer to left center, his second long ball in as many contests.
York answered back in the bottom of the fourth as Michael Berglund struck a pinch-hit RBI single up the middle, batting for Simoneit who was lifted after initially staying in the game following his hit by pitch from the inning before.
Pace tossed a 1-2-3 fifth and worked into the sixth before being lifted as Hagerstown’s first two batters reached on an error and a seeing eye single.
Lukas Galdoni quickly slammed the door on any potential threat with a fly out and a double play grounder and stayed on to record the first out of the seventh before Ian Churchill entered to strike out a pair.
The Revs offense seemingly put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh. Tovalin slammed a line drive rocket homer to right for his second long ball in as many days, and Wehler (3-for-4, three RBI) launched a two-run long ball to right center for his first of the year as the lead swelled to 9-2.
Tostado yanked a two-run homer to right in the bottom of the eighth, ballooning the lead to 11-2 on his first of the season.
Chad Coles struck out two in a scoreless eighth extending his streak to seven consecutive shutout innings to begin his pro career but ran into trouble in the ninth, loading the bases on a hit batter, single, and a walk. Colon ended Coles’ scoreless streak with an RBI ground out for the first out, but a walk reloaded the bases. Lefty Zach Veen entered and was greeted by a grand slam homer to left off the bat of Isaias Quiroz as Hagerstown closed within 11-7, but Veen recorded the final two outs on fly balls to secure the win.
Notes: York (8-4) moves within a game of Staten Island for first place in the North Division. Berglund’s single provided the Revs’ first pinch-hit RBI since David Washington homered as a pinch hitter on May 17, 2024 at Lancaster. Pace has allowed just two runs on five innings in two of his first three outings, both wins. Churchill has yet to allow a hit in four outings of relief. Prior to two walks in the ninth inning, York pitchers had walked just one batter in the game and just two batters compared to 29 strikeouts through the first 23 innings of the series; the Revs entered the day with a league-best 2.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a team. Revs starting pitchers allowed just four runs in 15.1 innings in the series, while striking out 18 with just two walks. The five-run third inning is the Revs’ second biggest of the season behind only an eight-run frame on April 27 at Gastonia. York’s 11 runs and three homers match the April 27 total for season highs while their 13 hits come within one of a season best. Justin Connell drew his league leading 13th walk, having reached safely in all 12 games to begin the season; he entered the day leading the league in on-base percentage at .571. Miller’s two doubles extend his hitting streak to 11 consecutive games while his three runs scored increase his league-topping total to 16. Lewis reached base all four times including a pair of knocks. York finishes its opening homestand, a season-long nine-gamer, with a winning record at 5-4. Thursday marked the first of four consecutive weeks that York will play a morning game; it was the first of seven scheduled this season and the first of three at home.
Up Next: The Revs travel to Hagerstown on Friday as the home-and-home series continues at 6:30 p.m. York lefty Jordan Morales (0-0, 3.38) faces former Revs righty Jorge Martinez (0-2, 7.00) in the opener. 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 6:10 p.m.
High Point 6, Gastonia 3
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers overcame the rain and the Gastonia Ghost Peppers during a rain-delayed 6-3 victory on Thursday night at Truist Point.
The two teams cruised through the first 4.5 innings in a light rain but when lightning appeared in the middle of the fifth, the field was cleared and both teams retreated to their clubhouses for what would be a 1:15 minute delay.
High Point took a 1-0 lead in the first when Luis Gonzalez singled and moved to third on a single by Ben Aklinski. Gonzalez scored on Max Viera’s RBI single.
The lead grew to 3-0 in the third when Aklinski led off the frame with a single. A walk to Evan Edwards and a single by Viera loaded the bases for Nick Longhi who doubled to drive in a pair of runs.
Gastonia tallied a solo run in the fourth when Patrick Mazeika reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a triple to center field by Narciso Crook.
Edwards hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to give the Rockers a 5-1 advantage when the contest came to a halt.
When the game resumed, Gastonia cut into High Point’s lead with a pair of runs in the seventh. Ethan Skender reached on a fielder’s choice and Eric De La Rosa homered to pull the Ghost Peppers within two at 5-3.
Edwards helped the Rockers to an insurance run with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, his second blast of the night.
Kyle Barraclough (W, 1-0) made it through five but when the game resumed, the Rockers used Jacob Edwards for two innings and Kyle Halbohn in the eighth. Stevie Branche (S, 1) pitched around a single in the ninth to earn the save.
The Rockers banged out 15 hits in the contest including three from Aklinski and two each from Edwards, Max Viera, Drew Mendoza, Nick Longhi and D.J. Burt.
Gastonia starter Nick Wells (L, 0-2) took the loss after allowing nine hits and five runs I his four innings of work while walking one and striking out four.
The Rockers and Ghost Peppers continue the series through the weekend with the action shifting to Gastonia’s CaroMont Health Park. Game time on Friday is set for 7 p.m.
High Point is now 9-3 on the season with a one-game lead in the Atlantic League’s South Division over 8-4 Lexington. High Point and Staten Island are tied for the best record in the ALPB.
NOTES: Prior to the game, the Minnesota Twins purchased the contract of Rockers catcher Jeff Napleton . . . Napleton is the second Rocker this year and the 41st in club history to have their contract acquired by an MLB organization or foreign league . . . Cody Wilson singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games . . . OF Ben Aklinski played in his 500th ALPB game on Thursday . . . Now in his fourth year with the Rockers, Aklinski has played in 382 games as a Rocker and appeared in 118 games in 2021 with the Lexington Legends . . . Nick Longhi, who was leading the league in homers last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury just 15 games in, played in his second game of the season and earned his first hits of the year.
Southern Maryland 5, Lancaster 4
Gio Digiacomo’s two-run homer in the top of the tenth inning sent the Lancaster Stormers to their fifth consecutive loss early Thursday as the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs completed a series sweep with a 5-4 win at Penn Medicine Park.
While the Digiacomo deck shot officially did the Stormers in, the offense failed to capitalize on several opportunities over the course of the game, leading to Lancaster’s demise.
The Stormers loaded the bags with one out in the first inning, managing one run on a force play grounder by Ariel Sandoval.
After falling behind on Cael Chatham’s RBI double in the second and Alejandro de Aza’s two-run homer in the third, Lancaster could not grab another lead despite seven shutout innings spun by Steven Lacey, Kyle Johnson and Scott Engler.
Lancaster failed to score in the fifth and sixth innings, leaving two runners on base each time. A two-out double down the left field line by Alex Isola and RBI single to right center by Joseph Carpenter in the seventh drew the Stormers within one. Following a pitching change to Noah Williamson, Sandoval walked, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Williamson retired Nick Lucky on a foul ball to third.
Wildness remained an issue for Williamson in the eighth. He hit Andrew Semo leading off the inning and walked the next two.
Again, Lancaster managed only one run to tie as Nick Ward lined a sac fly to right. Off Rafi Vazquez.
Phil Diehl (0-3) retired the side after the Digiacomo homer, and the Stormers again had an opportunity. With Lucky at second to start the home tenth, Andrew Semo walked. Then, the inning got really bizarre.
LeDarious Clark fouled a bunt, then swung and missed. He again squared to bunt and fouled it back, striking out. Lucky and Semo executed a double steal to move the tying run into scoring position for Slater Schield. Schield hit a grounder to third to score the one run, but Semo was caught in a rundown and was tagged out at third. Schield ducked into second behind the play. Then, with club RBI leader Nick Ward batting, Schield made a dash for third but was thrown out by pitcher Brandon McCabe, who earned his first save.
Overall, the Stormers left 12 runners on base on the day.
Lancaster will open a three-game series at Long Island on Friday evening. Matt Swarmer (0-1) will take the hill against John Gant (1-1) in a matchup of former big league right-handers. Fans may follow the action on FLoBaseball, beginning at 6:30.
NOTES: Lancaster managed only 15 hits in the Southern Maryland series and 33 on the homestand…Kelly Dugan left the club prior to the game, and the Stormers released LHP Mason Ronan following the contest…Reinforcements are expected over the weekend…Ward has RBI in four straight games and in six of the last eight, driving in a total of 13…Lacey allowed two hits and struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings on the homestand.
Long Island 3, Staten Island 1
The Staten Island FerryHawks took on the Long Island Ducks in a rubber game of a three game set on Thursday morning at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, falling 3-1.
Coming into the game, FerryHawks starter Morgan McSweeney held a 1.00 ERA in two starts. Allowing a combined one run in both starts against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, he had a solid outing in today’s game against Long Island. In five innings pitched, McSweeney allowed one run on three hits.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth with Matt Scheffler in scoring position, Drew Maggi belted a ball to deep left to score Scheffler to tie the game up at one a piece. In the top of the seventh the Ducks answered back by plating two runs off Connor Higgins to take a 3-1 lead – a lead they went on to hold for the rest of the game.
Despite a hard fought effort by Staten Island, their five hits were not enough to get the job done. The Hawks will look to regroup as they head to Lexington to face the Legends. First Pitch is set for Friday at 7 p.m. The FerryHawks return home Friday May 16 as they welcome the Gastonia Ghost Peppers.