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AtL Gastonia Ghost Peppers

GBC Splits York Double Dip

May 2, 2024 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Gastonia Ghost Peppers News Release


The Gastonia offense combined for 16 runs on 20 hits in Tuesday's doubleheader against York, helped out by the return of ex-Honey Hunter Braxton Davidson.

But Revs leadoff hitter Kobe Kato connected on two home runs in Game 2, leading to a split of the day/night affairs.

Game 1:

Gastonia won the first game 9-6, breaking out for 13 hits in the first of two seven-inning contests.

Justin Wylie gave the Club an early 2-1 lead with his third long ball of the season in the opening frame. Eric De La Rosa then hit an RBI single the other way to make it 3-1.

York put up back-to-back multi-run innings against southpaw Ian McKinney and right-hander Cory Thompson in the fourth and fifth.

That took the game to the bottom of the sixth, with Gastonia trailing 6-5 and being six outs away from dropping the first two games to the Revs.

Dean Miller led off the inning with an opposite-field blast to right-center, which evened up the game at 6.

After right-hander Michael Horrell retired two Gastonia batters and allowed a walk to Kevin Watson, he allowed four consecutive singles by the following home-team hitters:

Josh Stowers (3-for-4, SB, 2 R)

Jake Hoover (1-for-2, RBI, R)

Eric De La Rosa (2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB)

Braxton Davidson (1-for-3, RBI, BB)

Davidson, who capped off the four-run sixth to give Gastonia a 9-6 lead, returned to CaroMont Health Park after playing 89 games with the team in 2023.

The former first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves slashed .267/.418/.609 (1.027 OPS) with the Honey Hunters last season, and the success in his final at-bat carried into his first one in Game 2.

Game 2:

In an early 2-0 hole in the first inning, Gastonia put three men on base off York righty Alex Valverde.

Davidson strolled up to the dish, and hit a high fly ball to left. The ball carried and found its way just past the 304-foot wall, putting the Club on top 4-2.

The former Braves farmhand hit 25 homers with Gastonia a season ago, and recorded No. 1 of 2024 on his first day back.

The home squad cruised out to a 7-2 advantage over the Revs, thanks to Eric De La Rosa's first dinger of the year in the fourth. It was a monster shot to left-center, the first of three runs the team scored in the frame.

Up by 5 runs, Gastonia turned to right-hander and former big leaguer Sean Poppen for the fifth.

Poppen allowed four runs on five hits in the inning, including Kato's second homer of the contest - a two-run bomb the other way off the lefty's bat.

The Revolution plated a couple more in the sixth, following a throwing error by third baseman Jake Hoover. This allowed York to come all the way back and take an 8-7 lead.

Rudy Martin Jr gave his team some insurance in the top of the seventh, connecting on a no-doubt two-run homer off closer Gabe Klobosits. The left-handed hitter pulled the shot to right-center and made it 10-7, which was the final score.

Both teams ended the series with a 4-3 record on the season.

After dropping a series for the first time in 2024, Gastonia will head on a nine-game road trip, starting with the Charleston Dirty Birds. First pitch is Friday at 6:35 p.m.

Check out the Gastonia Ghost Peppers Statistics



Atlantic League Stories from May 2, 2024


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