After just 3 starts with the Old Orchard Beach Surge, Carlos Pinales is moved to the Gary Southshore Railcats of the American Association.

Right-handed pitcher Carlos Pinales (also former Portland Sea Dogs minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox) posted 3 wins in 3 starts, with a 0.75 ERA!

“Carlos is on a mission to get himself back on course after spending several years with the Red Sox organization. Just when he thought baseball was over for him, the Empire League gave him a chance to work his way back. Once again a prime example of what the Empire League is all about” – Eddie Gonzalez – Director of Baseball

Carlos is set to join the team tomorrow afternoon. He is the 10th Player out of the Empire League to be promoted this season.

Shaun Cooper of the Old Orchard Beach Surge departs from the Empire League and is headed to the Frontier League.

Cooper who led the Empire League in doubles with a strong bat will be playing outfield for the Florence Freedom. Cooper in 138 At bats had only 13 strikeouts and a .275 average with 19 stolen bases.

He is the 9th player in the Empire League to be promoted this season. Cooper will be playing in a very respected Frontier League.

“He’s been one of my favorite players and i believed he had what it took to get to the next level. We are very thrilled that the Frontier League is giving this young man a chance to show what he is made of.” – Scott Nathanson OOB Surge Manager

Cooper will leave the Surge immediately and join the ball club tomorrow afternoon.

The Watertown Bucks have officially clinched the first half of the 2016 Empire League. The Bucks defeated the New Hampshire Wild in the second to last game of the first half to clinch the half by a half game over the Old Orchard Beach Surge and 1 game over the Sullivan Explorers.

What does clinching the first half mean? It means that the Watertown Bucks have clinched themselves into the Leagues Championship after the regular season and will face the winner of the second half for the league championship. If the Bucks were to win the Second Half as well, the runner up for that half will take its place and will advance to the league championship.

The Bucks finished the first half with a (16-11) record.

The New Hampshire Wild were represented well in the first Empire League All Star Game as Chris Jacobs advanced to the Semi-Finals in the Home Run Derby and Joshua Wong goes yard to win the Most Valuable Player Award.

Wong started the game off with a sacrifice fly in the first inning that scored Luc Pomales of the Surge who had tripled and batted in Wilds second baseman Richard Colla. The East took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Wong went on to get a base hit up the middle in the 3rd Inning but was thrown out a second trying to steal. In the 6th inning for his final at bat of the game, Wong launched a 2-Run Home Run off West-Explorers pitcher Harrison Lee that was the decider in the game. Wong ended the day 2 for 2 with 1 Run Scored, a Home Run and 3 runs batted in as the East won the game by a score of 6-4.

Ryan Oglesby, Tony McClendon and Jorge De Leon combined for 3 and 1/3 shut out innings.

Jacobs grounded to third in his only at bat and Richard Colla had an RBI Single in the first inning and ended up scoring.

The 2016 Empire League All Star Game Home Run Derby Champion is Old Orchard Beach Surge first baseman Chris Allen.

The Derby participants were Explorers Adrian Gonzalez, Gevon Jackson and Kevin Putkonen, Bucks Patrick Jones and Javier Marticorena, Wild’s Chris Jacobs, Joshua Wong and Zack Mathieu and Surge’s Chris Allen and Luc Pomales.

Allen advanced to the second round with 5 Home Runs along with Bucks Patrick Jones, Wild’s Chris Jacobs and Explorers Adrian Gonzalez.

Jones and Allen went on to advance to the Final Round when Chris Allen crushed balls out of the park to take home the first Empire League Home Run Derby.