Gastonia 4, High Point 3
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Gastonia Baseball Club used a pair of home runs to edge past the High Point Rockers 4-3 on Tuesday night at Truist Point.
Josh Stowers smacked a two-run homer in the third inning to break a 1-1 tie and Justin Wylie hit a solo shot in the eighth that provided the key insurance run to the Gastonia Baseball club.
Gastonia opened the scoring in the first inning when Wylie doubled and scored on an RBI ground out. High Point responded with a lead-off triple from Ryan Grotjohn who scored on Evan Edwards’ infield ground out to tie the game.
Stowers’ homer in the third pushed Gastonia ahead 3-1 after Alan Alonso reached on an outfield error by the Rockers. High Point closed the gap to 3-2 in the sixth when Zander Wiel walked moved to second on a ground out by Jake Washer and scored on a Connor Owings single to right.
Wylie’s homer came in the top of the eighth off reliever Jacob Edwards and moved Gastonia in front 4-2.
The Rockers rallied in the ninth inning when Jake Washer’s pop out in shallow center field was dropped for a two-base error. D.J. Burt singled to right to plate Washer and pull the Rockers to within one.
Neil Ramirez (L, 4-5) went five innings for the Rockers and allowed four hits and three runs while walking two and striking out five. Mike Wright, Jr. (W, 1-1) went six innings, yielded four hits and three walks while striking out five. Phoenix Sanders (S, 10) allowed a run in the ninth but earned his 10th save of the season for Gastonia.
Game two of the series with Gastonia is slated for Wednesday, July 3 at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. Wednesday’s game marks the start of three straight nights of postgame fireworks at Truist Point.
York 8, Lancaster 6
The Atlantic League’s top runs scoring team did not need to swing the bats to produce a win on Tuesday evening.
York scored four runs without a base hit in the bottom of the eighth inning to overturn a Lancaster lead and go on to win, 8-6, in the opener of a three-game series at WellSpan Park.
Ted Stuka inherited a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth. Trey Martin picked up a leadoff walk, and Kobe Kato followed with another. Stuka (0-1) worked ahead of Alfredo Reyes then hit the Revs third baseman with a pitch to load the bases. He followed with a full count walk to Michael Berglund to force home the tying run.
Stephen Nogosek took over to face Matt McDermott. The York shortstop hit a hot ground ball to third baseman Trace Loehr, whose throw home hit Kato and bounced away. Reyes was tagged out in a rundown trying to score behind the errant throw. Rudy Martin, Jr. walked to refill the bags, bringing on Donovan Casey. The York center fielder hit a drive to deep right center which was tracked down by Niko Hulsizer. With Hulsizer still retreating to run down the fly ball, not only did Bergland score from third, but McDermott charged all the way home from second for an 8-5 lead.
Joseph Carpenter singled home Hulsizer in the top of the ninth, but Lancaster fell short as Matt Turner retired Chris Proctor on a ground ball to end the game and pick up his seventh save.
Lancaster took its first lead in the first inning when Hulsizer singled home Shawon Dunston, Jr. An unearned run in the second produced a 2-0 lead, then Proctor singled off the glove of starter Jon Olsen in the third to score Damon Dues for a 3-0 edge.
After York scored three runs in the bottom of the third off Matt Swarmer, Lancaster again took the lead in the fifth on a Proctor sacrifice fly to deep center on a circus catch by Casey.
York again tied the game on a bases loaded walk from Jackson Rees in the sixth inning, but Hulsizer slammed his first Atlantic League homer in the seventh for the 5-4 advantage.
The two clubs take the field again on Wednesday evening at 6:30. Fans may tune into the game on FloBaseball, beginning at 6:25.
NOTES: With Wednesday’s win, York clinched the Community Cup and will hold the trophy for the 2025 season…Mason Martin had his second straight three-hit game…Hulsizer boosted his average to .405…Kyle Kasser also had a three-hit game…Swarmer struck out seven and has 19 in 13.2 innings on the year…The Stormers are 30-30 and need to win two of the next three to finish over .500 in the first half for the first time since 2018.
Long Island 6, Charleston 4
(Central Islip, N.Y., July 2, 2024) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the Charleston Dirty Birds 6-4 on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.Keon Barnum’s RBI ground-rule double to right field in the first inning gave Charleston an early 1-0 lead. The Ducks responded with a three-run bottom of the inning, highlighted by Jackie Bradley Jr.’s two-run home run to left field and Kevin Higgins’ sac fly to center, to go in front 3-1.
An RBI single to right by Delino DeShields in the fourth closed the gap to 3-2. However, back-to-back two-out solo homers by JC Encarnacion to left field and Bradley Jr. to right field off Charleston starter Stevie Ledesma gave Long Island a three-run lead.
Tillman Pugh scored from third on a throwing error by Ducks starter Mike Montgomery in the sixth, trimming the Ducks advantage to 5-3, but the Ducks got the run back in the bottom of the sixth on Bradley Jr.’s RBI fielder’s choice. Barnum lifted a solo homer to left field in the eighth to make it a 6-4 ballgame, but the Dirty Birds got no closer.
Montgomery (2-2) earned the win, tossing six innings of three-run ball (two earned) allowing seven hits while striking out two. Ledesma (2-1) took the loss, giving up six runs on 10 hits in five and one-third innings with three strikeouts. Ramon Santos collected his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out two.
Bradley Jr. led the Ducks offense with two hits, four RBIs, two runs and a walk. Encarnacion added two hits, an RBI, two runs and a walk, while Chance Sisco and Zach Racusin each recorded two hits.
The Ducks and Dirty Birds continue their three-game set on Wednesday 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 Fairfield Properties. It’s also a Wendy’s Wednesday at the ballpark, and Ducks staff members will be handing out coupons for a special offer from Wendy’s as fans exit the ballpark. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (2-5, 7.20) takes the mound for the Ducks against Dirty Birds righty southpaw Kevin Smith (1-3, 7.46).
Staten Island 6, Hagerstown 2
The FerryHawks defeated the Flying Boxcars by a score of 6-2 on Tuesday on Staten Island at SIUH Community Park.
Matt Scheffler opened the scoring for the FerryHawks with his first homer of the year to make it a 1-0 game in the 2nd.
In the 3rd, the Hawks were able to jump out in front in a big way. Scheffler was able to add another run in the 3rd as he drew a bases loaded walk. Nate Scantlin then knocked a 2-RBI single with the bases loaded. The inning was capped off by Kyle Dernedde who picked up an RBI single and moved the score to 5-0 in favor of the FerryHawks.
Joe Dunand gave the FerryHawks an insurance run with an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th to move the score to 6-2, the final in this one.
Mike Shawaryn started the game for the FerryHawks. He pitched 6 innings giving up only 2 runs. Nate Griep came into the game in the 7th and struck out all three batters. He was followed by J.P. Woodward in the 8th and Brian Mckenna in the 9th who both put up scoreless frames.
Tomorrow the FerryHawks continue their three-game series against the Flying Boxcars with some Wednesday night baseball at 6:30 and another dollar hot dog night. If you’re still looking for those perfect 4th of July plans, you can hang with Hawks as they play a 6:30PM game followed by a special fireworks display!
Southern Maryland 16, Lexington 8