2026 Summer League Results- Week 9

6/24/26- Plug Uglies 10 - Phillies 2

WP: Jeff Whitehead

LP: Jon Wills

A perfect night for baseball at Landers Diamond for the second 2026 meeting of these two perennial rivals. The Phillies were riding high on an undefeated record while the Plug Uglies were struggling to score runs and get to .500.

A critical component to this game was pitching: the Phils were without their two main starters (and down to just 9 players). Jon “JW” Wills took the mound for the defending champs, who flashed his pitching chops successfully in Fall Ball ‘25. The Uglies sent their rested ace Jeff Whitehead to the mound to face the first place Phils, and he didn’t disappoint by pitching a complete game gem.

The scoring started in the bottom of the first when the Phillies got a couple of bizarre breaks. Phils rookie Matt Witek reached on the fielder choice, then Steve Youngberg (who hit the adjacent light tower with a sky high foul ball moments earlier), hit another moon shot to left centerfield that hung in the air forever. Skipper Chris Scanlon got to the ball but couldn’t make the catch. Witek scored on skipper Andy Klepacki’s single to put the Phillies on the board.

The Plugs responded in the top of the second when Matt Boulanger singled, stole second, and reached third on a fielder’s choice. He was knocked in by big Steve Wall to tie the game.

But the Phils pushed back in the bottom frame when Ron “Tater” Totten reached on an error, advanced to second on the same play, then scored when Michael “Miguel” Ringler reached on an E-1. The Phillies once again took advantage of Plug Ugly fielding flubs and were now up 2-1 after 2 innings.

JW kept the Uglies in check with 5 solid innings, but their bats finally came alive in the top of the 6th. With runners on 1st and 3rd with two outs, Bill Evans reached on an E-5 that scored Scanlon. Jeff Cabana singled to score Jack Wileden, then Rob “Ecc” Eccleston hit a bomb to bring in two more runs. RBI singles from Whitehead and Boulanger followed and suddenly the Plugs were up 7-2.

In the top of the 7th the Uglies didn’t let up. Mike Olkin walked, stole 2nd, reached third when Scanlon got to first on an E-6, then scored on a wild pitch. Wileden hit into a 1-3 that scored Scanlon, and Eric “Noodles” Bennett made it home on a wild pitch to make it 10-2 in favor of Plugs.

But no lead is safe in a TNB game! The Phils got men in scoring position with a Youngberg single and an opposite field bomb of a double by Jim “Kruk” Fogarty. But Whitehead kept his cool, inducing a groundout and the ball game was over. Final score: Plug Uglies 10, Phillies 2.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS:

Jeff Whitehead: complete game, 5 K, 0 ER, 9 hits, 1 BB.

Matt Boulanger: 3-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB

Andy Klepacki: 3-4, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Michael Ringler: 2-3

6/25/26- Isotopes 11 - Wonders 12

The Wonders looked down for the count. Isotopes reliever Gary Webber had entered in the fifth — three pitches, three outs. Next inning, he posted two K’s and his ‘Topes end up carrying a 11-7 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

But the Wonders were not done. Catcher Steve Higgins launched a long double to left on the first pitch of their last ups, signaling the beginning of a wild, woolly and Wonders-ful comeback as the blue team embarked on a 12-11 walk-off win at Mitchell Field.

The rally continued with a walk and miscues leading to Chris Ciepiela RBI single pulling the Wonders within one run. Bob Mastorakis then pushed across the tying run.

That set the stage for leadoff man Brett Constantine, who had already gone 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Webber had whiffed him looking on his last at-bat, a tough inside curve. With runners on second and third and one out, Webber intentionally walked the speedy rookie to face the more heavy-footed veteran Andy Ayres.

With the infield pulled in looking for a home-to-first double play, Ayres lined a 2-1 pitch into left center and the Wonders party was on. His hit capped a 4-for-4 day with four RBI.

Wonders rookie Mastorakis earned the win after entering in the sixth down 10-7. He limited the Isotopes to one run while striking out two over two innings of work.

The Wonders improved to 3-4 on the season, in their first meeting with Isotopes since their painful playoff rout at Whalley Park in Agawam last August.

6/25/26- Grays 4 - Fainting Goats 1