So. Maryland 10, Staten Island 9

(Thursday, May 11, Staten Island) For the first time this season, the Crabs were in a rubber game as they split the first two games with the Staten Island FerryHawks. The Prince of La Plata, Daryl Thompson, was climbing the hill for the Blue Crabs. 

The top of the first would be an exciting start, as David Harris hit an RBI-Double into right-center field to take the lead; Alex Crosby would follow up with his double to build a 2-0 lead. Staten Island would cut the lead in half with a Kevin Krause double to center.   

The FerryHawks bats would get hot in the middle innings, as they scored three runs in the fifth and three more the next frame, being capped off by a Jack Elliot home run. Staten Island was up 7-2 on the Blue Crabs.    

Michael Wielansky would deliver a big hit to right field to give the Crabs two runs as they chipped away at the lead; Staten Island added onto their lead in the bottom of the eighth by scoring one.    

With their backs against the wall, the Crabs needed a miracle to come back; they got exactly that from the top of the order. Braxton Lee and David Harris would both work walks against Jim Fuller, and Alex Crosby would send his third home run of the year over the right field wall to make it a one-run game. With two outs and nobody on, the Blue Crabs sent Jose Rosario to the plate; on a 1-2 count, Rosario delivered the miracle. Hitting an opposite-field home run to tie the game at eight.   

James Dykstra would keep the FerryHawks at bay, forcing extra innings. With Fox Semones running for Ryan Haug at second, Jack Sundberg hit a high flyball into center field that cleared the wall as Cespedes tried to bring it back. For the first time since the fifth, the Crabs had a lead of 10-8.    

With the job not done, the Blue Crabs called for their closer, Andre Scrubb, to try to lock down the game. Jeff Wehler pulled one through the left side and had the winning run at the plate; a stolen base by Wehler put the tying run at second with no outs. A sacrifice fly by the pinch-hitter Justin O’Connor made it 10-9, as Wehler moved to third. Scrubb would promptly retire the next two hitters with strikeouts and complete the miracle, and stun the Staten Island FerryHawks 10-9.    

The Crabs have won six of their last seven games, and three series wins out of the four. Dykstra would be credited with the win, Reynoso would get the loss, and Scrubb now tied for first in the Atlantic League with five saves.     

The road trip continues as the Blue Crabs head to York to play the second-place Revolution. The first pitch is at 6:35, as the lefty Sandro Cabrera is slated to make the start. Fans can tune into every game in this series by subscribing to FloSports.

Charleston 8, Lancaster 7

The Lancaster Barnstormers continued to swing healthy bats on Thursday evening, but the sticks were not quite enough as the Charleston Dirty Birds, playing as the Charlies, rallied for an 8-7 victory at GoMart Ballpark.

Charleston’s four-run sixth cost the Barnstormers the opportunity to sweep a series, dropping the record to 4-8.  The Dirty Birds ended an eight-game losing streak to improve to 2-8 on the campaign.

Lancaster led, 5-3, heading into the bottom of the sixth.  Reliever Cole Aker (0-1) walked Bobby Bradley to lead off the inning, then surrendered a single to left by Daniel Brito.  A sacrifice bunt by Diego Goris and a strikeout of Mitch Ghelfi had Aker on the verge of escaping without a run, but Montrell Marshall kept the inning alive with a single to left, cutting the lead to 5-4.  Jose Bermudez drove a double off the right field wall for a 6-5 lead.  The next three batters walked to force home another run as the Dirty Birds went up, 7-5.

A throwing error in the bottom of the eighth handed Charleston an insurance run which it turns out they needed.

Chris Proctor greeted closer Ricardo Gomez with an inside-the-park home run on a drive to the wall in left center which kicked away from Yefri Perez.  One out later, Trace Loehr slammed a conventional home run to right, and Gomez hit Melvin Mercedes with a pitch to put the tying run on base.  Gomez recovered to get Andretty Cordero to hit into a force play to end the night for his first save.

Lancaster soared to a big early lead.  Shawon Dunston, Jr. homered to open the night.  Trayvon Robinson and Proctor added RBI singles for a 3-0 lead, but the ‘Stormers also had two runners cut down at home in the inning.

Charleston got one back off Nile Ball on a single to center by Goris and double into the left field corner by Ghelfi in the second and tied the game on a two-run homer by Telvin Nash, in his first game with Charleston, in the third.

Dunston’s double to right center put Lancaster on top in the fifth.  Proctor added a sacrifice fly in the sixth off Edison Suriel (1-0) for the two-run lead.

Lancaster heads to Frederick and its first ever meetings with the yet-to-be-named Maryland squad.  Jacob Lemoine (0-0) will make the start for Lancaster against right-hander David Kubiak (0-1).  Fans may view the game on Flosports.tv, starting at 6:55.

NOTES:  Proctor’s inside-the-park home run was Lancaster’s first since Joey Terdoslavich hit one at New Britain in September, 2019…Ariel Sandoval has hit in 11 straight…Melvin Mercedes has an eight-game streak, and Trayvon Robinson has hit safely in all nine of his starts…Dunston’s leadoff home run was his fifth such accomplishment as a Barnstormer, with the first three coming in the final week of the 2022 regular season…Lancaster pitching struck out 12 and has 113 K’s in 101 innings on the year…The Barnstormers have scored 38 runs on 56 hits in the last five games.

High Point 5, Lexington 1

(May 11,2023) LEXINGTON, KY— The Counter Clocks dropped the final game of the series against the High Point Rockers with a score of 5-1.

The Rockers would strike first in the third inning with a homerun hit to right center field by Brian Parreira.

The Rockers went up 2-0 in the top of the fifth innings on a sacrifice flyball to the Clock’s right fielder JC Encarnacion. The ball was hit by Dai-Kang Yang and would advance Ben Aklinski to home.

In the bottom of the sixth inning the Clocks would score a run of their own on a fly ball to Rocker’s center fielder John Daly. After tagging up, Manuel Geraldo would score putting the Clocks within one of the Rockers.

However, the Rockers would extend the lead to two runs in the top of the seventh after Dai-Kang Yang grounded out to third baseman Connor Owings. The ground out scored Zander Wiel, putting the Rockers up 3-1 and would be Yang’s second RBI of the game.

Yang would afflict some more damage with his third RBI of the game in the top of the ninth on a line drive to center field. Yang would make it to second, Ryan Grotjohn made it home. John Daly would pick up an RBI of his own on a sacrifice flyball to left fielder Jake Gitter.

The Clocks would not score in the bottom of the ninth inning, ending the game with a score of 5-1. The Clocks lost the home series against the Rockers one game to two, advancing the Clock’s record to 8-4 on the season.

York 8, Long Island 6

(May 11, 2023 – York, Pa.):  The York Revolution pulled out a gut-check victory to put the previous night’s loss in the rearview mirror, salvaging their series finale with a come-from-behind 8-6 victory over the Long Island Ducks on Thursday afternoon at WellSpan Park. Tomo Otosaka keyed the offense with a 4-for-5 performance including two RBI, three stolen bases, and two runs scored.

Jorge Martinez (2-1) got the starting nod against Ian Clarkin (ND) for the Ducks. Long Island took the lead in the second as Joe DeCarlo doubled home two runs off Martinez to lead it 2-0, but York responded right away with a run of their own.

Troy Stokes Jr. singled with two outs in the bottom of the second, Jalen Miller reached on an error, and Tyler Hill took advantage by lacing a line drive single to left field for a two-out RBI as York was on the board, trailing 2-1 after two.

Sam Travis launched another homer over the Arch Nemesis in the third, this time a two-run bomb as Long Island led 4-1.

The Revs scored two runs to climb back in the bottom of the inning as a wild pitch plated Otosaka, who was stealing on the pitch, all the way from second base. Drew Mendoza grounded into a double play but Alejandro Rivero scored after ripping a single and advancing to third on the wild pitch as York got back within 4-3.

Long Island scored again in the fourth, this time on a ground ball fielder’s choice off the bat of Edward Salcedo, making it 5-3.

The Revs again responded as Miller walked, Hill banged one off of the right field wall for a long single, and Trent Giambrone singled to left loading the bases for Otosaka who promptly singled in two runs on a shot to right field, tying the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth.

Martinez got through six innings but allowed one more in the sixth after a passed ball allowed Dustin Woodcock to reach first on a dropped third strike, and DeCarlo doubled off the left-center wall, scoring Woodcock for a 6-5 Ducks lead.

The Revs stormed back in the sixth against reliever Joe Kuzia (1-1), taking the lead for the first time on the day. The Revs brought eight batters to the plate, set up by Giambrone’s leadoff walk and a double to right-center by Otosaka. Rivero turned the game around with a two-run single up the middle for a 7-6 lead and advanced to second on the throw home. The Revs finally got him across on a two-out RBI single to left from Stokes Jr. (3-for-4) for the 8-6 advantage.

Strong efforts from the bullpen secured the victory as Nelvin Correa and Blake Rogers tossed perfect frames and Victor Capellan locked down his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

Notes: Otosaka is now 9-for-13 with two doubles, seven RBI, and four stolen bases through his first three games. The Revs stole five bases as a team, their highest single-game total in two years. York out-hit Long Island 14-7 while the offense added six walks and only struck out twice. Martinez earned the 25th win of his Revs career, tying Frank Gailey for fourth on the all-time list. It was Martinez’ 400th appearance of his pro career. Correa has retired each of his last 15 batters faced. Rogers was helped by right fielder Trey Martin who made an all-out diving catch on Travis’ liner for the first out of the eighth. The Revs improve to 7-5, their best 12-game start since 2018.

Up Next: York righty J.T. Hintzen (0-2, 8.71) faces Southern Maryland southpaw Sandro Cabrera (1-0, 4.09) as the Blue Crabs come to WellSpan Park to open a weekend series on Friday at 6:30 p.m.  The night includes Breaking the Silence presented by NAMI as part of WellSpan Wellness Weekend focusing on Mental Health. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.

Gastonia 9, Frederick 7