2026 Summer League Results- Week 4

5/20/26- Grays 8 - Wonders 7 (6inn)

The Wonders always seem to step up against one of the league’s “goliaths” in the Dorian Grays. Under a breezy and overcast evening at Mitchell field, this game did not let the huge crowd down. This game had all kinds of highlights…defense, offense and pitching. The Wonders started ace Chris Ciepiela and the Grays countered with Chris Bernacki. The first inning was a bit lackluster as both teams went scoreless but included a defensive gem by Ciepiela with a double play to hold the Grays in check. The rest of the game was anything but lackluster, however.

The Grays threatened in the 2nd but the Wonders' fine defense held on and Ciepiela struck out the 8th/9th batters to end the inning. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Wonders struck first with a pair of hits by Jose Nieves and Steve “Higgy” Higgins, along with an excellent bunt by Luke Cavagnac to help the Wonders jump out to a 2-0 lead.

The Grays put up two runs on a few walks and a hit by Matt Kostek to break up Ciepiela’s no-hitter and knot the score 2-2 in the top of the 3rd, which ended with an excellent 1-2-3 double play. Wonders Brett Constantine and Tod Garfield kicked off the bottom of the 3rd with consecutive singles to tee up a big inning. Very nice pitching and Grays defense held the Wonders to just two runs to take a 4-2 lead heading into the 4th. The Grays jumped ahead in the top of the 4th with a 4-run inning that included a couple defensive miscues and 4 hits by the grays to take a 6-4 lead. The top of 4th included a pick-off at 2B by Wonders catcher Higgins and a fine back-up of 1B from Andy Ayres to hold the runners. The Wonders went quietly in their bottom of the 4th.

For the 5th, the Grays loaded the bases with no outs on a single and two Wonder miscues. The Wonder defense would not give up and Ciepiela managed to get out of the inning by inducing another double play and a pick-off at 1B to stop the threat. The Wonders plated two runs in their bottom 5th to again knot the score at 6-6.

In the 6th inning, the Grays stepped up by knocking in 2 runs on a BB and double by Jay “Supe” Sadowski and a costly Wonders error. The score was now 8-6 heading into the Wonder’s bottom 6th. The Wonders roared back with back-to-back singles again by Constantine and Garfield against Gray’s relief pitcher Steve Cole. After an E4, the Wonders closed the gap with an RBI to make it 8-7 Grays. Cole settled in and struck out the last two Wonders to end the game. The game did not have a 7th inning due to darkness.

It was a very exciting game and both starters pitched well and got out of some difficult jams. The Wonders manager marveled at his team’s persistence in tough jams while never giving up. Congrats to the Grays and the crowd who all got their money’s worth!

Wonders Brett Constantine, Jose Nieves and Tod Garfield led the attack with 2H each and singles by “Higgy”, Andy Ayres, and Kevin O’Grady and the bunt of the year, of course, from Luke C. The Grays were led by singles from Dave Rist, Chris Bernacki, Dave Poppie and Steve Powers. Matt Kostek chipped in 2 singles and “Supe” had a big 2-bagger.

5/21/26- Phillies 7 - Isotopes 6 (8inn)

Stephen Malachite’s bases-loaded, 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the 8th, propelled the undefeated Phillies to a thrilling back-and-forth victory over the Isotopes at Mitchell Field.

The 3-0 Phillies, facing off against the hard-luck Isotopes, who were playing their first game after 3 rainouts, sent Colin Hosley to the bump, while the ‘Topes countered with Jesse Higginbotham.

The Phillies struck first, plating a pair in the bottom of the first. Micah Winston doubled to CF and scored on Paul Griswold’s RBI single, and then Griswold scored when Matt Witek’s long fly ball was dropped for an error. The score remained 2-0 through 5 innings, as Hosley continuously pitched out of jams (bases loaded, 1 out in the 4th, and 1st & 2nd, 2 outs in the 5th) and Higginbotham retired 12 in a row from 1 out in the 1st to 2 outs in the 5th.

In the top of the 6th, the Isotopes strong lineup finally broke through. With 1 out, rookie Chad Walker reached on an IF error, advanced to 2nd on Emilio Chaverri’s single and then came around to score on a hit-and-run force out at 2nd. Scott Dunaisky followed with a monstrous bash to deep LF for an RBI double, and then Higginbotham gave the Topes the lead by lofting an opposite field double down the RF line.

However, the Phillies quickly retook the lead. Winston led off with a bunt single and advanced all the way to 3rd on the overthrow and then scored on Griswold’s single. After a wild pitch advanced him, Gris scampered home on Hosley’s RBI single for a 4-3 lead.

Ken Sloat relieved Hosley to start the 7th, fanning the first batter, but then gave up a single to John Sullivan on a pop-up to short LF that glanced off the glove of a sliding Miguel Ringler. Sully stole 2B, and after another K, 3B. Gary Webber then scorched a line drive single to LF to tie the game with 2 outs. The next batter, Walker hit a long drive to deep LF, which Ringler lined up while braving the hill and hauled in for the final out.

John Wills led off the bottom of the 7th with a single for the Phils, and then an out later, Webber relieved Higginbotham and retired the last 2 batters, getting a whiff for the 3rd out.

With Walker on 2nd to start the 8th, Echevarri tried to move him over by tapping a ball to the right side, but the feed from 1B to P dropped, and the Isotopes were in business with runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs. After a K, Sloat walked Dunaisky, and then Higginbotham to force in a run. However, he was able to escape further damage by inducing a nifty 6-4-3 DP from SS Ron Totten to 2B Wills to 1B Malachite.

Facing a 1-run deficit, with Ringler on 2nd, Winston laid down a hard bunt on the right side and beat it out, with Ringler moving to 3rd. Winston then stole 2B, but Webber got the next batter to ground out to him, and then elected to intentionally walk Griswold, who already had 2 RBI hits on the day, to face the equally dangerous Hosley. Hos didn’t disappoint, ripping a single to LF, scoring Ringler. However, Winston had to hold up for a moment to make sure it wasn’t caught, and then Dunaisky, who was playing shallow, fired a seed to 3B Sullivan, who threw home to Mike Arbour to nail Winston at the plate and preserve the tie. Webber elected to give another free pass, to Witek, in order to face Malachite, who lined the first pitch he saw to RF for the walk-off win.

Top hitters:

Isotopes – John Sullivan (2-4, R, 2SB), Gary Webber (2-4, RBI, SB), Emilio Chaverri (3-4, R, SB)

Phillies – Micah Winston (3-4, 2 runs, double, SB), Paul Griswold (2-3, 3R, 2RBI, BB), Colin Hosley (2-4, 2RBI)

5/21/26- Plug Uglies 7 - Fainting Goats 0

WP: Jeff Whitehead

LP: Eddie Esposito

The Fainting Goats hosted the Plug Uglies at Beachgrounds Park, with a cloudy sky leaving doubts of playing all 7 innings. But the light was enough and the game concluded as scheduled. Making an appearance was the Goats new mascot: a real live goat! Uglies players thought they were hearing things, but turned to see the source of the bleats to be the real thing. No word yet if the other five TNB teams will be getting their own mascots…

The Goats sent Eddie “The Lip” Esposito to the mound while the Plugs countered with Jeff Whitehead.

The Uglies got to work in the top of the first with Bill Evans and Jeff Cabana reaching on consecutive singles. Three stolen bases later Matt Boulanger hit a sac fly that brought in Evans from 3rd. Jeff Whitehead whacked a double that scored Cabana from 2nd and the Uglies were up 2-0.

In the top of the second Eric “Noodles” Bennett and Steve Wall singled. With skipper Chris “Chaka” Scanlon at the plate, catcher Jerold Duquette called time out, but Esposito had already started his windup and the home plate umpire didn’t respond. Scanlon took the pitch while Noodles raced to third uncontested as the catcher was frozen, thinking timeout had been granted. That set up a sac fly by Chaka to score Bennett. 3-0 Uglies.

The Plugs kept rolling. In the third Evans singled, stole 2nd, and scored on a Cabana single. Cabana scored on a Whitehead 4-3 sacrifice. In the 4th Mo Partee singled and scored when Wall reached on an E-6. The inning featured an unassisted double play by Goats skipper/1st baseman Paul Iellamo, who fielded a liner that caught the runner on first off guard: after tagging the runner Iellamo beat the batter to the bag for the DP.

The sixth inning opened up with a Cabana bomb to left field that seemed like easy extra bases, but Goats rookie sensation Shawn O’Grady tracked it to make a spectacular acrobatic catch. But four batters later Partee knocked in 2 with a single and the Uglies all but put the game away at 7-0.

Whitehead was lights out, pitching 7 shutout innings, giving up 4 hits, striking out 5 and walking 1. Between the stellar pitching and crafty Ugly defense, the Goats were only able to get one runner into scoring position all night.