Being top-heavy wasn’t so bad for Gastonia on Tuesday night.
The top five hitters in the Ghost Peppers’ lineup combined for 12 hits, 11 runs and seven RBIs in a 13-3 whacking of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä in an Atlantic League series opener at GoMart Ballpark.
Dalton Guthrie was 4 for 6 with four RBIs and two runs to pace Gastonia (33-22 second half, 61-57 overall). Shed Long Jr., Justin Wylie, Cole Roederer and Carter Aldrete chipped in two hits apiece.
Wylie homered, doubled and scored four runs. Long tallied thrice and Guthrie crossed the dish two times.
Aaron McKeithan drove in three runs and Wylie and Jack Reinheimer knocked in two apiece.
Zac Westcott got the decision for the Ghost Peppers, twirling six innings of three-hit ball. He allowed just one unearned run, with three strikeouts and no walks.
Alsander Womack had three hits and Benjamin Blackwell belted a pair of two-baggers for ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä (21-34 second half, 51-67 overall).
Jamison Hill took the loss for the Dirty Birds. He allowed four runs – three earned – on six hits over five frames, with six strikeouts and four walks.
Gastonia maintained a three-game lead over Lexington in the second-half South Division standings, and its magic number to clinch a postseason berth is 3. ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä is last in the division, 12 games out of first.
