Underwood Jr. Shines in Relief as Gastonia Salvages Series on Long Island, Winning 5-2
AtL Gastonia Ghost Peppers

Underwood Jr. Shines in Relief as Gastonia Salvages Series on Long Island, Winning 5-2

May 15, 2025 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Gastonia Ghost Peppers News Release


CENTRAL ISLIP, NY - Duane Underwood Jr.'s 3.2 scoreless relief innings proved to be pivotal in Gastonia's 5-2 victory over Long Island on Thursday, as the Ghost Peppers managed to salvage the series and snap their four-game losing skid.

Underwood Jr. entered the day having only allowed one run in 10 innings this season, and he was nothing short of dominant against the Ducks. The right-hander allowed just two baserunners from when he entered in the fifth to when he completed the eighth inning. He didn't walk a batter and struck out five in a masterful outing, and has now allowed one run through 13.2 frames this year.

Most importantly, Underwood Jr. kept the Ducks at bay (pun fully intended) by keeping the game knotted at 2 heading into the seventh inning.

Eric De La Rosa knocked in the eventual game-winning run in the seventh, doubling down the left-field line and plating Narciso Crook, who scored from first base, to make it 3-2 Ghost Peppers. Gastonia then tacked on in the eighth with two sacrifice flies - one from Justin Wylie and the other from Patrick Mazeika - to extend the advantage to 5-2.

The situational hitting wasn't only key late in the game for the Peppers; it was early on as well.

Gastonia struck first in the fourth inning by bringing in two runners from third base with less than two outs. Wylie doubled in Dalton Guthrie and Mazeika grounded out to second, which scored Wylie.

Wylie's two RBIs on Thursday puts him atop the Atlantic League leaderboard with 22 runs driven in this season. The slugger entered the day leading the ALPB in slugging percentage (.766) and now leads the league in RBIs as well.

Wylie has reached base safely in all 18 games this season, and extended his hitting streak to 14 games in the final game of the series on Long Island.

Raynel Espinal got the start for Gastonia in the contest and the right-hander allowed a pair of runs in 4.1 innings, walking one and punching out five batters. His outing was just the seventh time a Ghost Peppers starter was able to complete four innings this season out of the club's 18 games.

The Ghost Peppers improved to 6-12 on the season, and now head to Staten Island for a three-game set this weekend. First pitch on Friday is 7 p.m.

Check out the Gastonia Ghost Peppers Statistics



Atlantic League Stories from May 15, 2025


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