AtL Gastonia Ghost Peppers

Gastonia Pitching Carries No-No into 8th; Secures First Win as "Gastonia Baseball Club"

Published on April 27, 2024 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Gastonia Ghost Peppers News Release


The fantastic Gastonia pitching from the season opener carried into Friday night, as the staff held Southern Maryland hitless through 7.1 innings.

Yefry Ramírez threw the first five frames of hitless ball in his return from a shoulder injury he suffered in September 2022. The right-hander retired 15 of the 17 batters he faced, leading Gastonia to a 7-3 win.

Ramírez's first start in nearly 600 days was superb. He threw his fastball anywhere from 81 to 86 miles-per-hour and located beautifully. The 30-year-old former Major Leaguer walked just one Blue Crab and punched out three in his Gastonia debut.

"I'm feeling good," Ramirez said regarding his recovery heading into the season. "I tried throwing strikes, everything [near] the middle, working on my secondary pitches. Everything in the strike zone."

He's not far off.

Aside from a walk issued to Caleb Marquez in the third and hitting Alan Alonso with a pitch in the fifth, Ramírez cruised through the Blue Crabs lineup and got ahead of most batters by throwing pitches in the zone.

Ramírez got some early help from his offense on Friday.

Catcher Hidekel Gonzalez hit a bases-clearing double in the second inning - a liner that split the gap in left-center, to make it 3-0 Gastonia.

Jack Reinheimer then followed up with his first hit of the season, which plated Gonzalez and put his team up 4-0.

Ramírez kept his team up four runs by the time he finished his outing. Throughout his start, he started sitting by himself in the dugout - as is tradition in baseball when pitching a no-hitter.

Relief pitchers Steffon Moore and Trent Fennell, who carried the no-hitter into the eighth, also sat alone between innings.

Moore came into the game with a 6-0 advantage, thanks to Justin Wylie.

The No. 3 hitter went yard for the second time in as many games. The righty hitter connected on a two-run, opposite-field shot that extended Gastonia's lead that already felt comfortable due to the dominant pitching.

Right-hander Sean Poppen entered the game in the top of the eighth, and he retired leadoff hitter Payton Eeles to make it 7.1 innings without Gastonia pitching allowing a knock.

Michael Wielansky then lined a ball off the glove of a sliding Kevin Watson at first base, trickling into right field for the first Blue Crabs hit. Poppen got out of the inning after allowing two more hits, and then southpaw Jake Miednik shut the door on Southern Maryland.

Gastonia's 7-3 win is its first victory as the "Gastonia Baseball Club".

The team improves to 1-1 on the year and faces off against the Blue Crabs once again on Saturday night. First pitch is at 7 p.m.

Check out the Gastonia Ghost Peppers Statistics

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Atlantic League Stories from April 27, 2024


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