Long Island 6, York 5

(Central Islip, N.Y., June 9, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks defeated the York Revolution 6-5 in walk-off fashion on Thursday night in the rubber game of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark. 

York took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on Carlos Franco's sac fly and Josue Herrera's RBI single. Sam Travis answered in the bottom of the frame with a grand slam to left-center field off Revolution starter Austin Nicely, leapfrogging the Ducks in front 4-2. Yefri Perez closed the gap to one in the second with a solo homer to right off Ducks starter Joe Iorio.

Connor Lien gave the Revolution the lead back in the fourth on a two-run double to left-center. However, the Ducks pulled back even in the bottom of the inning when Deven Marrero singled, stole second base and scored on a pair of throwing errors. 

It stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth. Austin Rei walked, advanced to second on Rob Weissheier’s bunt and scored the game-winning run on Marrero’s RBI single to center. 

Neither starter factored into the decision. Iorio lasted five innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Nicely pitched seven innings, also giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits and three walks while striking out four. Sandy Baez (2-1) picked up the win after recording the final out of the ninth inning. Josh Martin (1-1) took the loss, conceding the winning run on a hit and a walk in the ninth. 

Travis led the Flock offensively with three hits, four RBIs and a run. Marrero also totaled three hits, the game-winning RBI and a run, while Alejandro De Aza collected a pair of hits and a run. 

The Ducks hit the road on Friday to open a three-game series with the Staten Island FerryHawks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park. 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 Stephen Tarpley (0-3, 7.16) gets the start for the Ducks against FerryHawks southpaw Anthony Rodriguez (1-2, 8.07).

Long Island returns home on Friday, June 17, to begin a three-game set with the Wild Health Genomes. 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). The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive Ducks Beach Towels, courtesy of Enzo. It’s also an Angela’s Pizza Friday! A player on the Genomes will be designated as the K-Man, and if he strikes out during the game, all fans can show their game ticket to receive a special offer throughout the rest of the weekend at Angela’s Pizzeria of Islip

Gastonia 3, Charleston 2

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Gastonia Honey Hunters defeated the Charleston Dirty Birds 3-2 at Appalachian Power Park on Thursday night.

Gastonia entered the game looking to wrap up a six-game road trip with a sterling 5-1 record. The club has overcome a four-game deficit in the standings on the help of a six-game losing skid by the High Point Rockers.

John Anderson opposed Ryan Lawlor in the contest, both seeking win number four on the year.

Gastonia struck first on the bat of Luis Castro, who homered to left in the second to put the Honey Hunters up 1-0. The homer for Castro was his third and offered an early cushion for Anderson.

In the fifth, Gastonia went up 2-0, as Reese Hampton scored Luis Roman on an infield single toward third.

With the two-run buffer, Anderson looked to maintain the lead.

Anderson got through the first five innings, allowing no runs on two hits while punching out five.

Zack Kone doubled to lead off the sixth for Charleston(18-25) and was plated on a RBI ground out from Engel Beltre, trimming the lead to 2-1.

In the seventh, Gastonia got the run back, as Zach Jarrett singled through the box to score Roman.

Anderson would be lifted in the seventh for Jairo Diaz, finishing his night with two runs allowed and six strikeouts.

With Diaz and Sam Bordner getting through the seventh and eighth innings, The Honey Hunters would rely on Jesus Balaguer and a little defensive wizardry to claim the series win.

Nick Longhi opened the ninth grounding to short, but the throw from Jack Reinheimer was low and unable to be picked by Castro at first. Stuart Levy hustled down the line to back the throw. As Longhi made a move for second, Levy flipped the bobbled throw back to Castro, causing a rundown that ended with Longhi being tagged out between first and second.

After an Alfredo Gonzalez single, Balaguer would find renewed focus, striking out Diego Goris and Scoot Burcham to end the game.

Anderson earned the win for Gastonia(29-14), improving to 4-4. Lawlor took the loss, going to 3-1. Balaguer claimed his seventh save of the season, as Gastonia took sole possession of first place in the South division by one game over the Rockers.

The Honey Hunters return home Friday night to take on High Point in a critical three-game set against High Point. First pitch is set for 6:15.

Kentucky 8, High Point 2
 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The High Point Rockers dropped their sixth straight game on Thursday, falling 8-2 to the Kentucky Genomes at Wild Health Field in Lexington. High Point was held to five hits by three Genomes pitchers with shortstop Giovanny Alfonzo collecting two of them.

The Rockers are now 28-15 on the year and fell out of first place for the first time since May 21. They will visit first place Gastonia starting Friday for a three-game series. The Honey Hunters are 29-14 after a 3-2 win on Thursday at Charleston.

The Rockers scored a single run in the first when Jay Gonzalez led off the game with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Logan Morrison.

High Point starter Austin Glorius (2-4) set the Genomes down in order in each of the first two innings but ran into trouble and allowed four runs in the third. Jimmy Paredes hit the big blow, a three-run homer.

The Rockers made it a 4-2 game in the fourth when Quincy Latimore drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a ground out by Jerry Downs, and scored on a single by Michael Martinez.

Kentucky completed the evening’s scoring with another four-run inning in the fifth. The first three Genome hitters all singled to plate one run. Paredes then doubled in a run and Moises Sierra singled home another run.

Paredes finished the night with two hits, two runs scored and four RBI. Dustin Beggs (3-3) pitched seven innings for Kentucky and walked four and struck out four while yielding five hits. Kentucky’s bullpen threw hitless innings in the eighth and ninth innings.

High Point will start a three-game series with fellow Atlantic League South Division foe Gastonia on Friday at 6:15 at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia.

NOTES: Pitcher Joe Johnson and infielder Zander Wiel both played after spending time on the injured list. Johnson pitched two-third of an inning and did not allow a baserunner. Wiel started in rightfield and had a walk and a strikeout.

Lancaster 1, Staten Island 0

LANCASTER, Pa. - Lancaster managed only two hits on Thursday evening.  As it turned out, they did not need either.

Cameron Gann and a pair of relievers combined on a five-hit shutout, and a first inning unearned run held up in a 1-0 victory over the Staten Island Ferryhawks at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The win ended a six-game losing streak for the host Barnstormers.

Gann (4-3) fired seven innings, yielding just three hits.  The right-hander walked none and struck out six.  He only had to contend with one runner in scoring position during his stint.  Yunior Santana doubled into the right field corner with one out in the third and took third on a bobble by Trayvon Robinson.  Gann struck out Alfredo Reyes looking and Dilson Herrera swinging to end the mild threat.  He would face only two batters over the minimum in his seven innings of work.

Chase Johnson took over in the eighth and allowed a scratch single to Ricardo Cespedes before getting a 4-6-3 double play out of Santana.  Josh Graham yielded a two-out single to center by Ben Ruta in the ninth but struck out Angel Aguilar for the final out to earn his fifth save.

Lancaster’s only run crossed in the bottom of the first without a benefit of a hit.  Newly acquired Shawn Dunston, Jr. walked and took second on a wild pitch.  Melvin Mercedes advanced the runner to third on a grounder to first baseman Brandon Wagner.  Dakota Freese (1-2) struck out Kelly Dugan, but Lancaster scored when Aguilar bobbled Andretty Cordero’s grounder to third for an error.

Unlike Staten Island, the Barnstormers threatened all night, leaving runners in scoring position in five different innings, in cases with loud outs.  Dugan and Robinson both had extra base hits knocked down by the wind with great plays turned in by Cespedes in the right center alley.  In the fifth, Melvin Mercedes lined to first with two aboard and one out.  After Dugan walked to load the bases, Cordero nailed a line drive directly at the second baseman Dilson Herrera.

For good measure, Colton Shaver, batting with runners at second and third in the eighth, smoked a line drive that drilled reliever Alex Katz, who knocked the ball down, froze the runners and picked up the inning’s second out

The Barnstormers will entertain Lexington for a three-game series beginning on Friday.  Right-hander Nile Ball (1-3) will make the start for Lancaster.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube channel, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  Dunston and Cordero had Lancaster’s only hits, a season low…Both were singles…Cordero’s extended his hitting streak to nine games, the second longest on the team this season…The shutout was the second for Lancaster’s staff…Graham is 5-for-5 in saves since taking over as the closer…LeDarious Clark had his second three-steal night of the season and now has 15 swipes on the year.

Lexington 10, Southern Maryland 6
Southern Maryland 3, Lexington 2

WALDORF, Md. – In a doubleheader that did not end until 2:01 am on Friday, Lexington and Southern Maryland split a doubleheader at Regency Furniture.

Lexington won the opener 10-6 as the Legends broke a 6-6 tie with four runs in the top of the ninth to take the win. After taking the lead on a sacrifice bunt and throwing error, Lexington’s Blake Swihart singled to score one run and Isaias Tejeda doubled to score two runs.

In the nightcap, which started at 11:43 pm, Southern Maryland’s Eddie Butler tossed a seven-inning complete game, scattering six hits and striking out eight in the 3-2 win. Michael Wielansky homered for the Crabs in the sixth and Braxton Lee plated another run with a ground out. Lexington tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh on a T.K. Koontz RBI single.

The Blue Crabs earned the walk-off win when Michael Baca pinch ran for Raul Shah who had singled to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt and a ground out moved Baca to third and he scored on a wild pitch.