Southern Maryland 4, Gastonia 0

(Waldorf, MD, May 11, 2022)  Southern Maryland’s Mitch Lambson allowed just three hits in a dominating performance while shutting out the Gastonia Honey Hunters 4-0 on Wednesday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. Gastonia starter John Anderson (L, 2-2) was also on target, conceding just two runs across 6.1 innings.

Lambson’s performance was the first complete-game shutout in the Atlantic League this year.  Impressively, Lambson only allowed four baserunners throughout the game, as he gave up only three singles and one walk.  At the start of the evening, Lambson’s ERA was 5.14, but by the end of the game, it dropped to 3.13. 

The Blue Crabs started the scoring in the second inning.  Zach Collier led off the inning with a walk, before Braxton Lee picked up an infield single.  Austin Rei advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt.  The next batter, Michael Baca, chopped a ground ball to second base, scoring Collier and giving Southern Maryland a 1-0 lead.   

The Blue Crabs’ lead remained 1-0 until the seventh inning as Anderson stayed in the game to start the inning.   With one out, Baca drove a line drive home run over the Mini Monster in left-center field, giving the Blue Crabs a 2-0 lead. 

In the eighth inning, the Blue Crabs added to their advantage.  Jared Walker and David Harris walked to start the inning.  Alex Crosby bunted down the third baseline, allowing both runners to advance. With two outs and runners on second and third, Braxton Lee flared a line drive into center field, past the outstretched reach of the center fielder Johnny Davis, scoring both Walker and Harris to give the Blue Crabs a 4-0 lead. 

Lambson (W, 2-0) returned to the mound in the ninth inning, having allowed only two baserunners.  Lambson recorded the first out before walking Alex Holderbach.  The next batter, Johnny Davis, lined a single into right field.  With one out and two runners on, Blue Crabs’ Manager Stan Cliburn went to the mound to check on Lambson, but Cliburn ultimately decided to leave his starting pitcher in the game.  Lambson quickly retired Jack Reinheimer and Joseph Rosa to end the game and complete the shutout.  

The Blue Crabs look to win the rubber match of a three-game set with the Honey Hunters tomorrow morning at 11 am for the second installment of Baseball in Education Day. 

Staten Island 2, York 1

STATEN ISLAND, NY – Staten Island guaranteed the franchise’s first series victory on Wednesday night at Staten Island University Hospital’s Community Park, powered by a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against York. The FerryHawks plated both runs in the eighth inning, while RHP Matt Solter allowed just one earned run for the fourth straight start. 

Despite the defeat, the Revolution drew first blood in the first inning and would lead for more than seven innings on Wednesday night. Troy Stokes Jr started the game by working a leadoff walk against Solter. Elmer Reyes followed with a single, before the pair executed a double steal to put two in scoring position. After Nellie Rodriguez drew a one-out walk to load the bases, it brought Carlos Franco to the dish. The slugger hit a groundball to Zach Racusin at third who attempted to step on third and complete the double play at first, but Franco beat it out. Stokes Jr scored on the play to give the Revolution the early 1-0 lead. 

Solter settled in after the first inning, failing to allow another run over his next six innings of work. The 28-year-old struck out four and walked two, lowering his ERA to 1.57.   

Revolution LHP Ausitn Nicely dueled Solter all evening long, lasting one more out than the FerryHawks starter. Despite losing each of his first three starts this season, Nicely coughed up just three hits over his 7.1 innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.   

Following Solter’s exit FerryHawks relievers Connor Law and Anthony Auletta managed to keep the deficit at just one run. The duo combined for a scoreless eighth inning with Law retiring two batters and Auletta setting down one. Auletta (1-0) earned the win in his FerryHawks debut.  

Nicely started the eighth inning over 90 pitches deep, but after issuing a one-out four-pitch walk to Racusin was yanked from the game for Alberto Rodriguez. After striking out Ben Ruta, Rodriguez walked Aguilar putting two aboard with two outs for Kacy Clemens. With the FerryHawks still down 1-0, Clemens lined a base hit into right field to plate Racusin and tie the game. Adrian Almeida was summoned as the third Revolution pitcher of the inning, having to face Rymer Liriano with runners on the corners. Almeida tossed a wild pitch that pushed Aguilar home, giving the FerryHawks their first lead, 2-1.   

Rodriguez (0-1) logged just one-third of an inning, allowing one run, one hit, one walk, with one strikeout. 
Victor Capellan locked down his second save in as many tries with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. He struck out Lenin Rodriguez and Yefri Perez to cap the contest and give the FerryHawks their first set of back-to-back wins in franchise history.  

Staten Island (3-13) goes for the series sweep on Thursday night at Staten Island University Hospital’s Community Park. LHP Anthony Rodriguez gets the ball for the FerryHawks against Revolution RHP Merandy Gonzalez. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM with the FerryHawks Pregame show starting at 6:15 PM on the SI FerryHawks Youtube Stream.  

Postgame Notes: Angel Aguilar has a team-high six-game hitting streak...FerryHawks bullpen has not allowed a run in the series...Staten Island has committed one error over the last four games...Solter’s 7.0 IP is the most for any FerryHawks starter this season...Shortest game of the season (2 Hours, 26 Minutes) 

Charleston 3, High Point 2 (11)

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers and Charleston Dirty Birds battled into extra innings on Wednesday night at Truist Point before Charleston emerged with a 3-2 victory in 11 innings.

Charleston’s Engel Beltre started the 11^th inning on second base and scored on a double by Miles Williams. In the bottom of the 11^th, the Rockers put men on first and third with nobody out but Dirty Birds reliever Tyler Wilson retired the next three hitters to preserve the Charleston win and earn his fourth save of the year.

The Dirty Birds scored a run in the first inning when Scott Kelly doubled to lead-off the game, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a groundout by Connor Justus. Beltre led off the second with a double for Charleston and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Blaum.

Trailing 2-0, the Rockers tied the game in the sixth with three consecutive doubles by Ben Aklinski, Zander Wiel and Quincy Latimore to knot the game.

Ryan Lawlor (3-0) picked up the win with two innings of hitless relief work. High Point’s Adam Choplick (1-1) took the loss.

Aklinski and Michael Russell led the Rockers with a pair of hits each. Beltre topped the Dirty Birds with three hits.

The Rockers and Dirty Birds will conclude their three-game series on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

Lancaster 9, Long Island 0

(Lancaster, Pa., May 11, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Lancaster Barnstormers 9-0 on Wednesday night in the middle game of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Lancaster opened the scoring in the second inning on Connor Lien’s RBI single and Trace Loehr’s sacrifice fly. Two more runs came home in the fourth for the Barnstormers against Ducks starter Hunter Caudelle on Anderson Feliz’s RBI double and Loehr’s run-scoring groundout.

It stayed that way until the seventh when Lancaster added four more runs. RBI singles by Andretty Cordero and Feliz along with two Ducks errors did the damage. An RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Cordero in the eighth rounded out the scoring.

Barnstormers starter Brent Teller (2-1) earned the win, tossing eight scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out five. Caudelle (1-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits and five walks over two and two-thirds innings with two strikeouts.

Rusney Castillo led the Ducks offensively with two hits.

The Ducks and Barnstormers wrap up their three-game series on Thursday morning. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Clipper Magazine Stadium. Fans can follow all the action on the Long Island Ducks Broadcast Network. Live streaming HD video and audio will be available via BoxCast on LIDucks.com as well as on the Ducks official Facebook page and YouTube channel. Left-hander Cody Beckman (1-0, 0.00) toes the rubber for the Ducks against Barnstormers southpaw Augie Sylk (0-3, 8.71).

Long Island returns home on Friday, May 13, to begin a three-game set with the High Point Rockers. 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). It’s an Angela’s Pizza Friday! If the K-Man on the Rockers strikes out during the game, fans will be able to redeem their game ticket for a $13 regular pie (normally $19) at Angela’s Pizzeria in Islip during the rest of the weekend. Tickets for the game, and all Ducks games, are available by visiting the Fairfield Properties Ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or CLICKING HERE.

Kentucky at Lexington, PPD