Gastonia 12, Southern Maryland 7

The Gastonia Honey Hunters got a six-run fifth inning to run out to a commanding lead, holding off the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 12-7 at Caromont Health Field on Thursday night.

Dakota Chalmers took the mound for Gastonia, tossing five innings to earn his first win for the South Division´s top team. Chalmers walked three, allowed a pair of hits and struck out seven Blue Crabs batters in his second start on the year.

Offensively for Gastonia, Zach Jarrett led a 12-hit attack, as the club also scratched out five extra-base hits during the contest. Jarrett´s three knocks moved his average back over .300 for the season.

Alex Holderbach and Jake Skole each launched two-run home runs in the game, while Darian Sandford clubbed a bases-clearing triple in the game, earning three RBI for the game. Holderbach´s blast was his third, while Skole mashed his 18th on the season.

Southern Maryland(70-33,22-15) pitcher Adrian Cook watched his record fall to 0-2 on the season.

The win for Gastonia evened the season series against the North Division first-half champs, as each team earned six wins on the year against each other. The Honey Hunters win tonight did secure their third straight series win over the Blue Crabs.

Gastonia(72-33,27-12) will open a three-game set against High Point this weekend beginning with a 6:15pm first pitch, as Alex Sanabia will make his Gastonia debut against Neil Uskali.

Staten Island 14, Long Island 5

(Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 18, 2022) – The Long Island Ducks were defeated by the Staten Island FerryHawks 14-5 on Thursday night in the rubber game of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

 The Ducks struck first in the opening inning when Phil Caulfield scored on a single by Jose Sermo, coupled with a fielding error. Staten Island answered with four runs in the second off Ducks starter Stephen Tarpley on Joseph Monge’s RBI single, Justin O’Conner’s RBI double and a two-run double by Javier Betancourt. A two-run home run to left field by Christopher Cespedes in the third extended the FerryHawks lead to 6-1.

 An RBI single by Bryan Gonzalez and a bases loaded walk by O’Conner in the fifth inning made it an 8-1 ballgame. Deibinson Romero launched a grand slam to left field off FerryHawks starter Matt Solter in the bottom of the fifth, closing the gap to 8-5.

 However, a wild pitch that plated Eric Marinez in the sixth, an RBI fielder’s choice by Betancourt in the seventh and an RBI infield single by Betancourt in the eighth pushed the FerryHawks lead up to 11-5. O’Conner’s three-run homer to left in the ninth rounded out the scoring.

 Solter (5-8) earned the win, tossing five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four. Tarpley (4-7) suffered the loss, surrendering eight runs on eight hits and four walks over four and one-third innings with two strikeouts.

 The Ducks hit the road on Friday night to open a three-game series against the York Revolution. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at PeoplesBank 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. Right-hander Akeel Morris (4-9, 6.08) gets the start for the Ducks against Revolution lefty Ben Herrick (0-0, 0.00).

High Point 12, Charleston 1
 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers’ offense came alive on Thursday night in a 12-1 win over Charleston at Appalachian Power Park. The Rockers banged out 16 hits including a club-record eight doubles in winning their fifth straight game. A trio of High Point pitchers held the Dirty Birds to just three hits while striking out 14.

Michael Russell and Logan Morrison each had three hits including a pair of doubles while Giovanny Alfonzo added three hits and one double. Quincy Latimore blasted a three-run homer that set the club record for career RBI and tied the career mark with 42 home runs.

The win gives the Rockers a 56-49 overall record and a 17-22 mark in the second half. Losses on Thursday by Kentucky and Lancaster have moved the Rockers into a 1.5 game lead in the race for the Atlantic League Wild Card race. The Wild Card team would earn a berth in the playoffs if either Southern Maryland or Gastonia repeat as second half division champions.

High Point took a 1-0 lead in the first when Morrison doubled and Zander Wiel followed with an RBI double. The Rockers added three runs in the second inning when Jay Gonzalez reached on an error and Alfonzo drew a walk from Charleston starter Alec Kisena. Russell then cleared the bases with a triple. Morrison then delivered an RBI single to plate Russell for a 4-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Wiel blasted his 26^th home run of the season to put the Rockers up 5-0.

The Rockers scored six times in the fourth when they started the inning with a club record three consecutive doubles from Russell, Morrison and Jerry Downs. Russell was thrown out at the plate on Morrison’s double but Downs picked up the RBI when he drove home Morrison. Wiel then reached on a fielding error by Charleston center fielder Anfernee Seymour before Latimore hit his 15^th homer of the season. It was also Latimore’s 42^nd of his High Point career, tying Stephen Cardullo for the most career home runs as a Rocker.  Latimore’s round-tripper was followed by a single from Roldani Baldwin, a double from Gonzalez, an RBI single from Alfonso and a run-scoring ground out by Mike Gulino. When the smoke cleared, the Rockers were up 11-0.

In the seventh, Gulino singled and then scored on a double by Russell.

The Dirty Birds notched their lone run on a Scott Burcham home run off Jannis in the eighth.

High Point starter Mitch Atkins drew his second start of the season after spending the first four months of the season rehabbing from an arm injury suffered last season. Atkins went four innings and allowed just one hit while walking two and striking out four. Knuckleballer Mickey Jannis came on in the fifth and struck out eight in his four innings of work. Joe Johnson worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning and struck out two.

High Point will open a three-game series at South Division-leading Gastonia on Friday night at 6:15 p.m. at Caromont Health Park.

NOTES: Wiel’s 26^th home run leaves him one shy of the club record of 27 set by Richie Shaffer in 2019… Wiel set the season record for RBI with 83, breaking Jerry Downs’ mark of 81 set last season… Quincy Latimore hit his 42^nd home run as a Rocker to tie Stephen Cardullo for the club record for career homers… High Point set a record for doubles in an inning with four in the fourth and the three consecutive doubles that inning were also a record… Latimore and Downs are now tied for the most career RBI as a Rocker with 149 each… Stephen Cardullo held the previous mark of 146.

York 5, Lancaster 4

(August 18, 2022 – York, Pa.):  Melky Mesa crushed a three-run home run and threw out the potential tying run at home plate in the eighth inning as the York Revolution completed a sweep of the Lancaster Barnstormers with a 5-4 win at PeoplesBank Park on Thursday night, the 1,000th victory in franchise history.

Lexington 8, Kentucky 7