The Gastonia Ghost Peppers defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 6-1 in an Atlantic League matchup on August 3, 2025, at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf. A crowd of 5,343 watched under partly cloudy skies as Gastonia’s balanced offense and strong pitching outmatched the home team, leaving the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs with their 40th loss of the season.
Gastonia struck first in the third inning when Jack Reinheimer’s sacrifice fly scored Nate Scantlin, who had doubled earlier. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs responded in the bottom of the third with a triple from Gabriel Digiacomo, who scored on a wild pitch by Gastonia’s starter Nick Wells, tying the game at 1-1. However, Gastonia regained the lead in the fourth when Dalton Guthrie’s sacrifice fly brought in Cole Roederer. The Ghost Peppers broke the game open in the seventh, with Scantlin’s single driving in Aldrete, followed by Reinheimer being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, pushing the score to 3-1.
The eighth inning sealed the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ fate. Gastonia’s Ethan Skender singled to score Jake Wylie, and Emmanuel De La Rosa’s triple drove in two more runs, extending the lead to 6-1. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs struggled to mount a comeback, managing only nine hits and leaving 11 runners on base. Digiacomo’s triple and run scored accounted for the team’s lone tally, while Barrera’s double and Racusin’s hit-by-pitch provided brief sparks in an otherwise quiet offensive day.
Nick Wells earned the win for Gastonia, pitching five innings and allowing one run on six hits while striking out seven. Connor Overton took the loss for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, surrendering four runs on eight hits over 6.2 innings. Gastonia’s bullpen, including Duane Underwood Jr., Art Warren, Bryan Blanton, and Kyle Hasler, shut down the Blue Crabs’ lineup, allowing just three hits over the final four innings. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ relievers, Brandon McCabe and Donovan Ross, struggled to contain Gastonia’s bats, with McCabe allowing two runs in 1.1 innings.
Defensively, Gastonia executed a double play, with Wylie, Reinheimer, and Aldrete combining to stifle a Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ rally in the second inning. Wylie’s error in the field was the lone miscue for Gastonia, while Zach Racusin’s error for the Blue Crabs added to their challenges. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ catcher, Ryan McCarthy, recorded 11 putouts but allowed five stolen bases, with Gastonia’s Scantlin, Reinheimer, Wylie, and Skender capitalizing on their speed.
The game, which lasted 2 hours and 49 minutes, highlighted Gastonia’s ability to blend timely hitting with effective pitching. For the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, the loss dropped their record to 46-40, while Gastonia improved to 41-46. Fans at Regency Furniture Stadium, a staple of Southern Maryland’s sports scene, left hoping for a stronger showing in the next game. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs will look to rebound as they continue their homestand, aiming to leverage their home-field advantage in front of the Waldorf faithful.
