Charleston 16, Gastonia 9
(Charleston, WV – July 10, 2024) – Despite hitting three home runs and scoring nine runs, the Dirty Birds fell to Gastonia 16-9 Wednesday afternoon. Gabriel Rodriguez, who gave up the first six runs to Gastonia, was handed his third loss of the season.
Charleston combined for 11 hits and three of those were home runs. Keon Barnum hit his second home run of the series to make his season total 18. Tillman Pugh hit an opposite home run for his seventh of the year while new addition Joseph Rosa hit his first home run with the Dirty Birds.
The Dirty Birds will face Gastonia tomorrow at 6:35pm for the series finale before embarking on a six-game road trip.
York 16, Long Island 9
(July 10, 2024 – Central Islip, NY): The York Revolution set season and single game franchise records for stolen bases and Zander Wiel enjoyed a breakout night with his new team in a 16-9 victory over the Long Island Ducks on Wednesday night at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
York jumped in front with three runs in the first inning and led the entire way.
Matt McDermott started things with a double off the right center wall on the first pitch of the night, having hit safely in 28 of his last 31 starts. Rudy Martin Jr lined an RBI single to right center two pitches later for the game’s first run. Jacob Rhinesmith added an RBI groundout, and Wiel ripped a two-out RBI single to left center for the 3-0 lead.
Long Island got one back right away as Nick Heath drew a leadoff walk and Jackie Bradley Jr doubled off the right center wall, but Revs starter Michael Horrell allowed only one run on a Frank Schwindel sac fly to right, leading 3-1 after an inning.
York put up two more in the second to build a 5-1 lead as Donovan Casey poked a two-out RBI single through the right side and Ducks starter Stephen Woods Jr uncorked a wild pitch to plate another.
The Ducks used a two-out rally to score a run in the third as Ryan McBroom smacked an RBI single to right center, but Casey gunned down Jonathan Waite attempting to go first to third for the final out as the lead stood at 5-2.
Alfredo Reyes sparked things in the fourth with a first pitch bunt single and stole both second and third base accounting for the Revs franchise single season record tying and breaking 188th and 189th stolen bases of the season. Martin Jr brought him home with a two-out, two-strike RBI single to center, and after a stolen base of his own, came around to score on Casey’s single up the middle to make it 7-2.
Wiel crushed a 429-foot solo homer to left in the top of the fifth, his first with York, to make it an 8-2 lead.
Horrell was an out away from finishing five innings with a six-run advantage, but after Schwindel’s bloop single kept the inning alive and Waite took a walk to load the bases, McBroom lined a two-run double to left to bring the Ducks within 8-4. Ivan Castillo followed with a pop fly that landed in front of a diving Casey to plate two more runs, as the lead suddenly shrunk to 8-6.
York answered Long Island’s four-run frame with a five-spot against reliever Bobby Vath in the sixth. Walks to Michael Berglund and McDermott got things rolling, and Martin Jr reached on a throwing error on a sac bunt to load the bases. Casey provided a sac fly to right and Rhinesmith ripped a two-run double past a diving McBroom at first base. Trey Martin reached on a double when his fly ball was lost in the twilight, and Wiel singled up the middle to bring home two more for a 13-6 advantage.
Long Island scored a pair against reliever Denny Bentley in the bottom of the sixth as Bradley Jr chopped an RBI single into left and Schwindel provided an RBI groundout.
York got those two runs back in the seventh as Berglund came home on a wild pitch, and Rhinesmith and Casey teamed up on a double steal with Rhinesmith’s attempt drawing a throw to second from Waite, allowing Casey to sprint in from third and steal home with the Revs’ franchise record 10th stolen base of the night.
McBroom homered to left center against reliever Nelvin Correa in the bottom of the seventh, but Tom Sutera and Matt Turner handled scoreless innings to close it.
York plated one more run in the ninth when Berglund came home on a passed ball for the 16-9 final.
Notes: The Revs snap a season high tying three-game losing skid; they had gone 33-12 over the 45 games in between three-game slides. Martin Jr scored four runs, his third time scoring four or more in a game this season; he also stole three bases giving him a league-leading 45 swipes on the year, moving into fourth on the Revs’ single-season list. Casey drove in three runs, increasing his league leading total to 84 RBI on the year including 24 in his last nine games; he extended hitting and RBI streaks to 11 consecutive contests. Wiel went 4-for-5 with four RBI; his homer was his 14th this season and 75th of his Atlantic League career. The Revs now lead the league with 196 steals in just 67 games, besting the previous franchise record of 188 steals set in 140 games during the 2014 season. The 10 stolen bases in Wednesday’s game surpass the previous team record of nine set on August 31, 2014 vs Somerset. The Revs have scored in double digits 20 times this season including 19 times in their past 46 games. It is the 12th time they’ve scored in the teens, all in the past 46 games. Their five-run sixth marked the 23rd time they’ve scored five or more in one inning compared to just eight times allowing their opponents to do so. York lefty Ethan Lindow (7-4, 6.41) faces Jimmy Robbins (4-2, 4.50) in Thursday’s rubber match as the Revs go for three series wins in as many visits to Long Island this season. Revs fans can catch the 11:05 a.m. contest with pregame beginning at 10:55 a.m. on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and FloBaseball.TV.
High Point 11, Lexington 1
HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point centerfielder Ben Aklinski drove in five runs on three hits to lead a 13-hit offensive explosion as the Rockers took an 11-1 decision from Lexington on Wednesday afternoon at Truist Point. Aklinski was a triple away from hitting for the cycle, having blasted a solo homer, an RBI single and a three-run double.
The win gives the Rockers the series win over the Legends with the series finale slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Thursday at Truist Point.
Aklinski was not the only hitting star for the Rockers as right fielder Gilberto Jimenez had three hits and scored two runs and Quincy Latimore and Evan Edwards each drove in a pair of runs. Edwards hit a two-run homer in the seventh while Latimore knocked a two-run double during a seven-run fourth inning for the Rockers.
Rockers starter Neil Ramirez (W, 3-3) did his share, holding Lexington to four hits and a single run with six strikeouts in his five innings of work. Jacob Edwards and Garrett Schilling each threw a shutout inning in relief. Rockers manager Jamie Keefe turned to newcomer Sam Peddycord to finish up the game. An East Forsyth High grad and former pitcher at Greensboro College, Peddycord made his professional debut with two outstanding innings, retiring all six men he faced and recording a pair of strikeouts.
The seven-run fourth put the game away for the Rockers who had taken a 2-0 lead after three innings on Aklinski’s first inning home run and his third inning RBI single. High Point banged out five hits in the third off Lexington starter Luis De La Rosa (L, 1-2) who yielded three doubles and a triple along with three walks in the frame.
The Rockers are now 3-1 in the second half and have a five-game lead in the Atlantic League’s Wild Card race over Southern Maryland and Lancaster.
Lancaster 5, Staten Island 4
Lancaster produced its first four runs with heavy lumber, but it was an infield single that brought home the deciding run as the Stormers tripped up the Staten Island FerryHawks, 5-4, Wednesday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
J.P. Woodward (0-3) struck out Gaige Howard and Joseph Carpenter looking to open the bottom of the eighth before walking Shawon Dunston, Jr. and Chris Proctor in succession. The duo executed a double steal to put runners at second and third. Trace Loehr hit a bounder past the left side of the mound. Shortstop Jeison Guzman hustled to the ball, but his off balance throw was late at first base as the Stormers broke the 4-4 tie.
Staten Island struck for four runs in the top of the third off Lancaster starter Oscar De La Cruz. The right-hander hit Andres Noriega with a pitch, and Guzman yanked a double inside the first base bag. Kolby Johnson’s single into right brough Noriega home for a 1-0 lead. Pablo Sandoval drove home a second run with a long sacrifice fly to center. Luis Castro planted his 10th homer of the season onto the deck in right as the FerryHawks opened up a 4-0 advantage.
Lancaster fought back with homers. Damon Dues led off the third with a blast to right center field. Two batters later, Mason Martin connected on a drive to dead center. In the fourth, Damon Dues followed a Trace Loehr double with a liner to the deck down the right field line to tie the game.
Bullpens kept it that way for nearly four innings. Christian Allegretti and Brian Warzek, two Staten Island lefties faced the minimum of 10 batters over 3 1/3 for the FerryHawks. Steffon Moore dug De La Cruz out of a hole in the sixth inning, freezing runners at second and third, then pitched a perfect seventh. Ted Stuka opened the eighth with consecutive walks but got Jimmy Paredes to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play. Phil Diehl (3-1) entered and struck out Noriega for the final out of the inning.
Stephen Nogosek survived a two-out infield single by Nate Scantlin to pick up his fifth save.
The Stormers will send Max Green (5-4) to the mound on Thursday morning. Staten Island has not announced its starter.
NOTES: The Stormers are now 8-5 in one-run games this season…Four of the wins have been against the FerryHawks…Dues has five homers with Lancaster after having only one in his previous career…Martin has 10 extra base hits in 38 at bats…Diehl and Nogosek have combined for a win and save on consecutive nights.
Southern Maryland 8, Hagerstown 2