Friday’s News & Notes

Syracuse — OFF DAY
After their first scheduled day off in June, the Chiefs resume their 10-game homestand with a three-game set against Buffalo, followed by four against Charlotte.
Roster move: RHP Taylor Hill optioned from Washington.

Harrisburg 7 Richmond 6
• Spann 3IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB, 3K
• Harper (W, 1-1) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Difo 2-5, R, 2B, RBI, SB
• Bostick 1-4, 2B, RBI

Harrisburg’s six-run 5th turned a 4-1 deficit into a 7-4 lead, which the bullpen (*not a spoiler alert*) nearly blew for a 7-6 win to prevent a three-game sweep by Richmond. Matt Spann needed 76 pitches to get through three innings, in which he gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three. Bryan Harper got the win for two scoreless innings, with one hit and one strikeout. Wilmer Difo led off and went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored to lead the Senator offense.

Carolina 5 Potomac 3
• Simms 6IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 4K, WP
• Self (L, 2-1) 2IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 0K, WP
• Manuel 2-4, RBI, PO at 1B
• Miller 1-3, R, HR, BB, RBI, OF assist at 2B

The Mudcats rallied for two in the 8th to snap a 3-3 tie and held on to hand the P-Nats a 5-3 loss. John Simms started and let up three over six innings on six hits and three walks while fanning four. The loss went to Derek Self, his first for Potomac in 2015, as he was charged with two runs, four hits, two walks, and no K’s over two innings. Potomac racked up 10 hits and drew two walks but left on just six as they hit into two double plays and ran into an out at second. Craig Manuel and John Wooten both went 2-for-4 while Brandon Miller homered.

Kannapolis 13 Hagerstown 5
• Baez (L, 0-1) 1+ IP, 5H, 8R, 8ER, 3BB, 0K, 0HR
• Bach 4IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 2BB, 4K, 1-1 IR-S
• Reistetter 2-3, 2RBI
• Abreu 2-4, 2R, 3B, HR, BB, RBI, E(19)
• Dent 2-4, R, RBI

Kannapolis struck for eight runs in the first two innings and cruised to a 13-5 win over Hagerstown to salvage the three-game series. Starter and loser Joan Baez retired just three of 12 batters faced in one-plus innings, burned for eight runs on five hits and three walks without a strikeout or a home run. Osvaldo Abreu tripled, homered, and walked while committing his 19th error to the lead the Suns nine-hit, four-walk attack.

Auburn — Opening Day
The Doubledays open the 2015 season on the road with three against the Muckdogs and three against Crosscutters. As some have noted in the comments, the roster does not appear to be set yet (just nine pitchers and nine position players as of this writing at ~7 a.m. EDT) nor has the team issued a press release regarding the Opening Day roster.