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Staten Island FerryHawks

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FerryHawks Bring the Juice

Fall Short on Opening Day

Charleston Sneaks Past Staten Island in FerryHawks Debut
 
CHARLESTON, WV – In the first game in FerryHawks history, Staten Island was bested by Charleston, 5-3, Thursday night at Appalachain Power Park. Tied 3-3 after five innings, the Dirty Birds plated one run in the sixth and seventh innings to grab the 2022 Atlantic League opener. 
 
Two-time Major League All-Star Julio Teheran toed the rubber in Staten Island's first contest, opposing Dirty Birds starter and Teaneck, NJ native Kevin Herget. Neither pitcher allowed a run through the season's first three innings. 
 
 
The Dirty Birds struck first in the fourth inning, taking advantage of a FerryHawks blunder. After Alberto Callaspo started the inning with a fly out, Teheran induced a groundball to third off the bat of Nick Longhi. After fielding cleanly, third baseman Brantley Bell sailed the throw wide of first base allowing Longhi to reach. Following a walk to Engel Beltre, Juan Carlo Perez roped a double into left field, plating both Longhi and Beltre for a 2-0 Charleston advantage. 
 
Teheran gave up just one earned run over his four frames with four strikeouts. 
 
Staten Island responded quickly in the top half of the fifth inning against Herget. On the fourth pitch of the inning, Kacy Clemens delivered the first home run in FerryHawks history, a towering drive over the right-field fence to close the gap to 2-1. Later in the inning, after a two-out single by Norberto Susini, Ricardo Cespedes belted the second home run of the inning. His two-run shot over the wall in right propelled Staten Island to their first lead, 3-2. 

 

The fifth inning would prove to be the final frame for Herget, who allowed six hits on strikeouts without issuing a walk. 
 

 The FerryHawks lead was not long lived as the Dirty Birds would scratch one run across in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game 3-3. Conor Justus catalyzed the rally with a leadoff single against reliever Eddy Reynoso, before Anferee Seymour lined out to shortstop. After a Reynoso balk moved Justus to second, Brantly Bell's third error of the game allowed Scott Kelly to reach and moved Justus to third. Callaspo followed with a run-scoring groundout to tie the game at 3-3. Manager Edgardo Alfonzo replaced Reynoso with Joe Kuzia for the final out of the inning. 
 
Charleston scored for the third straight frame, plating the eventual game-winning run in the sixth inning. Kuzia didn't help his own cause, committing Staten Island's fourth error to start the inning on an Engel Beltre groundball. After a walk to Matt Hart and a passed ball credited to Susini, Yovan Gonzalez flew out to deep centerfield to score Beltre and give the Dirty Birds a 4-3 lead. 
 
Kuzia (0-1) failed to allow an earned run or a hit over an inning-and-a-third despite being hit with the opening-day loss. 
 
Kit Scheetz (1-0), Justin Miller, and Tyler Wilson combined to blank the FerryHawks over the final four innings, permitting just two hits. 
 
Anfernee Seymour tacked on an insurance run for Charleston with a solo home run in the seventh, pushing the Dirty Birds ahead 5-3. 

With a late 9th inning rally in the works, FerryHawks outfielder/pitcher Kelsie Whitmore made history by pinch-running for Susini after a hit by pitch. Whitmore became the first woman ever to play in a professional baseball game in association with MLB, a feat that brought the Charleston fan to their feet and cheering her name. The rally was surpressed by an impressive defensive play by second baseman Scott Kelly, robbing Cespedes of an RBI.


 
Staten Island (0-1) and Charleston play the second of their four-game set on Friday evening at Appalachian Power Park. RHP Matt Solter takes the mound for the FerryHawks against Dirty Birds RHP Jordan Stephens with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM.
 
Postgame Notes: Norberto Susini (2-for-4) recorded the FerryHawks first multi-hit game...Chris Nunn tossed a scoreless eighth inning...Staten Island finished 0-for-4 with RISP...FerryHawks outhit the Dirty Birds, 8-6
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