Gastonia Ghost Peppers 6, Charleston Dirty Birds 2
GASTONIA, N.C. – Narciso Crook’s two-run homer in the first inning and a dominant effort by the Gastonia bullpen led to the Ghost Peppers beating Charleston on Wednesday, 6-2.
Crook returned to Gastonia from the Mexican League for this week’s series against the Dirty Birds, and he made his reunion known in dramatic fashion. The left fielder crushed a ball to left off Anthony Diaz, capping off a three-run first inning for the Peppers.
Gastonia carried the 3-0 lead into the fifth inning, with the southpaw John Wilson cruising against the Birds. In the fifth, Wilson allowed a two-run homer off the bat of Ariel Pastano Jr., as the catcher hit his second long ball of the season.
The Peppers got a run right back in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of Nate Scantlin’s legs. The leadoff hitter had already reached base in his first two trips to the plate, recording two stolen bases and a run scored entering the fifth. Scantlin singled, stole second for a third time in the game and then was able to score on a passed ball by Pastano Jr. to make it 4-2.
Scantlin ended the game reaching base four times and scoring three runs, using his speed to contribute to Gastonia’s victory.
Wilson’s outing was over after five innings, and the Peppers ‘pen shut down Charleston and protected the lead.
After Art Warren gave up a leadoff single to Keon Barnum in the sixth, Gastonia pitching retired 11 Dirty Birds in a row. Bryan Blanton and Ryan Hennen each dealt perfect frames, and Cory Thompson punched out two hitters in a scoreless ninth to finish things off.
The Peppers won for the eighth time in their past nine games, improving to 15-11 in the second half and now just one game back of first-place Lexington.
Gastonia hosts Charleston for the third of the six-game set on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Lancaster Stormers 5, Hagestown Flying Boxcars 1
The Lancaster Stormers had their strikeout stuff working on Wednesday evening.
Noah Bremer struck out 11, the high by a Stormers hurler this season. Relievers Jackson Rees and Scott Engler combined to whiff five more, and Lancaster went on to defeat the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, 5-1, in the middle game of a three-game series.
The win moved the Stormers back to within 1 ½ games of the division leading Long Island Ducks.
Bremer (6-2) fanned the side on 12 pitches in the first inning. He only added three more over the next 4 1/3 innings before finishing his seven-inning performance with five in a row.
Rees struck out the side in the eighth. Engler retired Aaron Takacs on a fly ball to left to open the ninth before striking out Cary Arbolida, the 15th strikeout for the club. Marty Costes reached on an error, but Engler quickly fanned Gary Mattis to close out the night. The 16 K’s matched the season’s best for the staff which had also struck out 16 at Staten Island on May 30.
The Flying Boxcars put the night’s first run on the board in the third inning. Mark Black led off with a fly ball into the right field corner that kicked off the wall into the bullpen mound area for a triple. Tyler Williams singled him home with one out.
However, the visitors managed only one more baserunner on the night, and the Stormers managed to reach Jack Weisenburger (1-5) in the bottom of the fourth. Mason Martin drilled a leadoff single off the right field wall. One out later, Joe Campagna lofted a single over shortstop Justin Acal. The pair executed a double steal, and both scored on Nick Lucky’s double into the right field corner. Lucky stole third and had to stay there as Kevin Watson, Jr.’s wicked liner was handled by Mattis at second. Evan Alexander tacked on a third run with a single to right.
The score remained intact until the bottom of the eighth when Lucky followed a walk to Campagna with a two-run homer off the right field tents.
Lancaster will send right-hander Tim Brennan (1-2) to the hill on Thursday night against Hagerstown lefty Quinton Martinez (1-3). Fans may follow the game on Blue Ridge 11 or FloBaseball, starting at 6:40.
NOTES: Lancaster is now 7-0 with Campagna behind the plate…Lancaster was 5-for-5 stealing bases before Watson was thrown out in the eighth…Lucky was dropped from fourth to fifth in the batting order and responded with the four-RBI night…In his 10 games as the cleanup batter, he hit .256 with seven RBI and one extra base hit…As a team, the Stormers have fanned a league leading 807 batters on the year.
High Point Rockers 5, Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 2
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers banged out 13 hits and the bullpen threw five shutout innings as the Rockers defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 5-2 on a cold and misty night at Truist Point. The Rockers win evens the six-game series and one game apiece.
With the win, the Rockers improve to 55-34 overall and 14-12 in the second half while Southern Maryland falls to 47-41 and 11-14. The Rockers own a 3.5 game lead over York and Long Island which are each 51-37.
Southern Maryland loaded the bases in the top of the first off High Point starter Brandon Backman. Zach Racusin and Lyle Lin each reached on an infield hit and moved up on a walk to Brett Barrera. Drew Mendoza was unable to cleanly handle Jamari Baylor’s grounder to third, allowing Racusin to score and give the Blue Crabs a 1-0 lead.
The Rockers tied the game in the second when Luke Napleton singled through the hole with one out and scored from first on Aidan Brewer’s double to center.
In the fourth, Blue Crabs starter Shawn Semple (L, 6-5) walked Napleton to open the inning and Brewer reached on an infield single. Ben Aklinski then doubled to center, plating both runners and putting the Rockers ahead 3-2.
The Rockers went up 4-2 in the fifth inning when Alex Dickerson started the frame with a single to first and was awarded second on defensive obstruction. He then scored on Napleton’s double High Point added a final insurance run in the eighth on a Brewer double and an RBI single from Luis Gonzalez.
Backman went four innings, allowing five hits, four walks and one run while striking out three. David Hess (W, 1-0) pitched the fifth and sixth innings, allowing two hits and striking out four in earning the win. Daniel Blair and Cam Cotter each threw a shutout inning and Jameson McGrane struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 10th save of the season.
Racusin led the Blue Crabs with four hits while Gonzalez and Brewer each had three hits for the Rockers. Both of Brewer’s hits were doubles.
Game three of the six-series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Thursday at Truist Point. The Rockers will send RHP Fin Del Bonta-Smith (0-1, 2.16) to the mound to face Southern Maryland RHP Andrew Thurman (5-1, 4.90). Rocker fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.
NOTES: The Rockers made a multitude of moves on Wednesday, releasing C Chris Brady, RHP Daniel Frontera and INF Carlos Amezquita . . . The Rockers activated OF Cody Wilson from the injured list and re-signed a pair of former Rockers . . . C Luke Napleton started the year with High Point before having his contract purchased by Minnesota . . . He returned Wednesday after being released by the Twins . . . And Cam Cotter, from Northern Guilford HS and NC State, returned after being released by the Giants . . . Cotter was a Rocker in 2022 and 2023 before going to the San Francisco organization . . . LHP Win Scott and C Isaiah Mirabal were placed on the inactive list.
Lexington Legends 5, Staten Island FerryHawks 2
The Lexington Legends jumped out early and never looked back, beating the Staten Island FerryHawks 5 to 2 on Tuesday night at SIUH Community Park.
All five of Lexington’s runs came in the first four innings, and their bullpen did the rest to keep Staten Island quiet the rest of the way.
Curtis Terry got things going with a solo home run in the first. In the third, EJ Cumbo ripped an RBI double to bring in Jerry Huntzinger, and Terry followed with a two-run single to drive in Cumbo and Dylan Rock. Isaias Quiroz added a solo shot of his own in the fourth to make it 5–0.
The FerryHawks got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Brandon Martorano launched a solo homer to center. Their only other run came in the eighth, when Martorano singled, stole second, and scored on a base hit to left from Alberto Osuna.
Lexington starter Patrick Wicklander worked three clean innings before handing things off to the bullpen. Jack Lynch, Christian Edwards, and Jonathan Haab combined to throw six strong innings in relief. Edwards picked up the win, and Haab closed it out in the ninth for the save.
Staten Island had chances but couldn’t cash in. They stranded runners in seven of the nine innings and struck out 13 times. Mark Contreras and Matthew Scheffler each reached base twice, but the offense never quite clicked.
Lexington’s pitching and defense held strong after the early outburst, and the Legends came away with a well-earned win on the road.
Long Island Ducks at York Revolution, postponed
(August 6, 2025 – York, Pa.) Tonight’s York Revolution game against the Long Island Ducks has been postponed following a lengthy rain delay before the first pitch could be thrown. For the safety of the players and due to field conditions, officials deemed the playing surface unfit for competition.
The game will be made up on Thursday, August 7, as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. Gates will open at 3:30 p.m.
Tickets from tonight’s postponed game may be exchanged for tickets to any remaining 2025 regular season home game (subject to availability).
Exchanges may be made in person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office at WellSpan Park or by calling (717) 801-HITS. On game days, the ticket office is open from 10 a.m. until the end of the fifth inning. On non-game days, it is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.