Staten Island 7, York 2

STATEN ISLAND, NY – Staten Island won its third straight game Thursday night at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, picking up the franchise’s first-ever sweep in a 7-2 victory over York. Despite allowing a top-of-the-first inning run for the second straight night, the FerryHawks rallied for seven runs all between the fourth and sixth innings. 

Troy Stokes Jr. helped spark the Revolution’s first inning run for the second straight night, earning an infield single against. LHP Anthony Rodriguez to start the game. After advancing to second base on a wild pitch, Stokes Jr. was pushed home two batters later on a Melky Mesa single. Mesa’s knock extended his hitting streak to eight and gave the Revolution a 1-0 lead.  

Merandy Gonzalez, making his Atlantic League debut, limited the FerryHawks to just one hit through the first three innings. The FerryHawks finally scratched the tying run across in the fourth inning courtesy of a Ricardo Cespedes sacrifice fly. After back-to-back singles by Brandon Wagner and Rymer Liriano, Norberto Susini walked to load the bases for Cespedes. Facing his former teammate in Gonzalez, Cespedes’ fly out to centerfield was deep enough to push home Wagner for a 1-1 game.  

Rodriguez, despite starting the fifth inning, failed to complete the frame for his fourth straight start. Yefri Perez started the inning with a single, before back-to-back walks eventually ended Gonzalez’ night. Joe Kuzia was summoned out of the bullpen with the bases loaded and walked Melky Mesa, giving the lead back to the Revolution 2-1. Kuzia managed to induce a 1-2-3 double play and a fly out to limit the fifth-inning damage to one run. 

Rodriguez allowed two runs on six hits across his four innings. He struck out three and walked two in his fourth-ever professional baseball start.  

Gonzalez also started the fifth inning for York, but failed to complete the frame. Staten Island’s game-deciding inning started in dramatic fashion with Ben Ruta launching his team-leading third home run of the season over the right-field fence. His solo blast tied the game 2-2. Angel Aguilar followed with a single, extending his hitting streak to seven games, before Wagner was hit by a pitch. With two aboard for Liriano, the FerryHawks right fielder belted a double to the left-field alley to plate a pair and give the FerryHawks a lead they’d never relinquish. After a ground rule double by Cespedes plated Liriano for a 5-2 lead, Revolution Manager Mark Mason replaced Gonzalez with Jhoendri Herrera. He was greeted by a Zach Racusin run-scoring single, making it 6-2 Staten Island. 

Gonzalez (0-1) lasted 4.2 innings in his first start with York. All six runs he allowed were earned – he walked four and whiffed three.  

Kuzia (1-1) tossed two scoreless innings of relief to earn his first victory of the season. He allowed one hit and one walk acorss his two frames. 

Kacy Clemens extended the FerryHawks lead to 7-2 in the sixth inning with a solo home run over the right-field fence. He became the second FerryHawk to homer at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park (Ben Ruta) this season.  

Eddie Reynoso, Alex Katz, and Anthony Auletta combined to blank the Revolution over the final three innings. The trio combined for five strikeouts and no walks, allowing just one hit.  

Staten Island (4-13) continues its first homestand by welcoming in the Gastonia Honey Hunters for the first of a four-game three-day series on Friday night. RHP Julio Teheran is slated to throw for the FerryHawks against a Honey Hunters hurler to be determined. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM with the FerryHawks Pregame Show starting at 6:45 on the SI FerryHawks Youtube Stream.  

Postgame Notes: Angel Aguilar has a team-high seven-game hitting streak...FerryHawks bullpen did not allow a run in the series (10.2 IP)...Ben Ruta now leads the team with (3) home runs...Staten Island has committed one error over the last five games...LHP Anthony Auletta has struck out three of the four batters he’s faced this season 

Lancaster 6, Long Island 4

LANCASTER, Pa. - Home field advantage?  Try home field domination.

Anderson Feliz launched a three-run homer in the third inning to lead the Lancaster Barnstormers to a 6-4 Thursday matinee victory over the Long Island Ducks at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The win kept the Barnstormers unbeaten at home in 2022 with a 6-0 mark.  It was the 17^th consecutive game involving the ‘Stormers that was won by the host club with Lancaster having lost 11 straight on the road.

Jake Hoover plated the first run of the game with a two-out RBI triple to right center in the second, but it was in the third that the Barnstormers took control of the game.  Devon Torrence led off with a walk, took second on a passed ball and scored when Melvin Mercedes sliced a double slightly fair down the right field line.  Cody Beckman (1-1) retired the next two batters before walking Mark Zagunis.  Feliz then teed off, launching a drive halfway onto the hill in left as the Barnstormers surged ahead, 5-0.

Meanwhile, lefty starter Augie Sylk retired the first 12 batters he faced.  The fifth inning became problematic.  Deibinson Romero led off with a single over Feliz’ head at third.  Sam Travis followed with a double off the right field wall.  One out later, both runners scored on a single to left by Joe DeCarlo, who raced to second on the throw home.

Mercedes made a low throw on a Michael Wielansky grounder, allowing the inning’s third run to score.  Wielansky, in turn, crossed home when Johnni Turbo reached reliever Oscar De La Cruz for a two-out single to center.

The Barnstormers had to survive a pair of two-out scares.  De La Cruz loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an infield hit in the sixth before fanning Wielansky to close the inning.  LeDarious Clark doubled home a run in the bottom of the seventh to give Lancaster breathing room.  Then, Josh Graham, after striking out the first two hitters in the eighth, also had to stare down a bases loaded chance.  He got Wielansky to ground into a force out.

Scott Shuman worked around a leadoff single by Deven Marrero in the ninth for his fourth save.  Chase Johnson (1-2) faced three batters in the seventh and was awarded the win on scorer’s discretion.

The Barnstormers host the York Revolution for the weekend.  Nile Ball (0-0) will take the hill on Friday night against right-hander Jorge Martinez (0-2).  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  Clark has hit safely in six straight…Zagunis drew five walks in the three-game series in Lancaster…Mercedes had seven hits along with two walks…Feliz also had Lancaster’s only single of the game…Hoover batted safely in all five games against Long Island over the past week…The Barnstormers have not allowed a home run in eight games (71 innings), going back to a J.C. Encarnacion blast on 5/1…

Southern Maryland 4, Gastonia 2

(Waldorf, MD, May 12, 2022) The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs defeated the Gastonia Honey Hunters 4-2 on Thursday morning thanks to late inning heroics. Southern Maryland plated a trio in the eighth inning, and improved to a 15-3 record on the season. In a true test for the Crabs, facing the Atlantic League South Division leading Honey Hunters who entered the series with an identical 13-2 record, the Crabs prevailed, winning the final two games of the series. Additionally, Southern Maryland continued an impressive streak, having each of their first six series of 2022.

Eddie Butler (W, 3-0) got the start for Southern Maryland. The MLB veteran allowed two runs in the top of the first inning, but proved resilient. Smooth and steady, the former Cub kept humming, blanking the Honey Hunters in each of the next five innings.

The offense started slow for the Blue Crabs, but Austin Rei put the first crooked number in the Blue Crabs column in the bottom of the fifth inning. The catcher doubled to right field, bringing Braxton Lee home to cut the Gastonia lead to one run.

Southern Maryland still trailed with a stagnant offense heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but suddenly, the Crabs broke through. The inning began with a Raul Shah single, and was followed by a Rei sacrifice bunt attempt that saw Shah gunned down at second. With one out and Rei at first, Michael Baca roped a single down the third base line before Jack Sundberg went down on strikes. Down to their final four outs, the Crabs kept fighting, as Ian Yetsko singled, loading the bases with two outs. After a mound visit, Gastonia’s Sam Bordner issued a wild pitch that allowed Rei to score, tying the game at 2-2. With first base unoccupied, the Honey Hunters elected to walk Jared Walker, bringing up the designated hitter, David Harris. Harris saw four pitches before smoking a liner up the middle to score a pair, giving Southern Maryland a 4-2 advantage.

In the ninth inning with a newfound lead, Mat Latos (S, 7) came in to close out the Honey Hunters in order. The Blue Crabs 15-3 record is the best start to a season in franchise history, giving them a comfortable seven game cushion in first place in the ALPB North Division. On Friday, the Blue Crabs will begin a three-game set at home with the Charleston Dirty Birds, with a 6:35 PM first pitch to their series opener.

Charleston 6, High Point 2

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers dropped a 6-2 decision to Charleston in the final game of the three-game series at Truist Point at Thursday night.

With the Rockers trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Johnny Field stroked a triple to right and scored on a ground ball to short in which he beat the throw to the plate to knot the game at 1-1.

Charleston went ahead 3-1 in the sixth on a two-run homer by Engel Beltre. The Dirty Birds added three more runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Connor Justus,  a sac fly from Juan Perez and a pair of wild pitches to take a 6-1 lead.

The Rockers rallied for a run in the eighth when Ben Aklinski hit a lead-off double and scored on a ground out by Zander Wiel.

Charleston starter Jose Mesa, Jr. (4-0) allowed the Rockers just three hits in his five innings of work. High Point reliever Bryce Hensley (0-1) came into the game in the fifth and allowed two runs that put the Dirty Birds in the lead.

Aklinski and Field each had a pair of hits for the Rockers.

The Rockers now hit the road for a three-game series at Long Island which begins on Friday with a 6:35 p.m. start at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Kentucky 7, Lexington 1
Kentucky 5, Lexington 0

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Wild Health Genomes swept a doubleheader from the Lexington Legends on Thursday, taking the first game 7-1 and posting a 5-0 shutout in the night cap.

Jimmy Paredes collected three hits and scored three runs while Felix Pie hit a home run and drove in four runs to lead the Genomes. Atlantic League veteran Max Povse went the distance for Kentucky, scattering seven hits over seven innings and striking out seven in earning the complete game win.

Luke Becker and Chase Vallot each drew bases loaded walks during a three-run first inning uprising. Pie hit his first home run of the year, a three-run shot, in the fifth.

In the nightcap, Riley Mahan led off the game with a solo homer, his eighth of the year. Paredes doubled home a run in the second, Mahan drove in a run with a double in the fourth and Anderson Miller tripled and scored on a single by Cleuluis Rondon to add a run in the sixth.

Robby Scott stymied the Legends with five innings of one-hit ball while striking out two as he combined with Tim Peterson and Diego Moreno to two-hit Lexington.