· By Whitney Hunt
Gastonia’s Big Sixth Inning Drops Dirty Birds, 9–4
A seven-run 6th inning powered the Gastonia Ghost Peppers past the Charleston Dirty Birds, 9–4, on Saturday evening at GoMart Ballpark.
Gastonia’s Offense Ignites:
- Justin Wylie went 3-for-5 with a homer (23) and 2 RBI.
- Nate Scantlin homered (12) and drove in two.
- Carter Aldrete added a solo shot (15).
- Dalton Guthrie, Narciso Crook, Jack Reinheimer, and Aaron McKeithan each chipped in RBI hits as Gastonia racked up 16 hits.
Pitching Notes:
- Donovan Benoit (W, 1–2) earned the win with 2.0 scoreless innings in relief.
- Starter Justin Wilson (3.0 IP) struck out 4, while Nick Horvath added 4 K’s over two innings.
- Charleston starter David Lebron (L, 8–4) allowed 5 runs on 11 hits over 5.0 innings.
Dirty Birds Highlights:
- Alsander Womack went 2-for-4 with a homer (12), 2 runs scored, and an RBI.
- Zach Daniels belted a two-run shot (19).
- Joseph Rosa doubled and scored.
- Carlos Amezquita added an RBI double.
Team Totals:
- Gastonia: 9 R, 16 H, 8 RBI, 3 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B
- Charleston: 4 R, 6 H, 4 RBI, 2 HR, 2 2B
Gastonia’s offense did most of its damage in the decisive 6th, sending nine men to the plate, as Charleston dropped the opener of the weekend set.