Hagerstown, MD (April 29, 2024) – The Flying Boxcars opened their inaugural campaign with a historic series, visiting the York Revolution.
On opening day, the Boxcars produced a combined no hitter – the first time a team accomplished the feat on opening day in ALPB history, and just the fourth combined no hitter recorded in the Atlantic League.
Pitcher Parker Markel started for the Boxcars on night one, going six innings, notching seven strikeouts, before Domingo Jiminez took over in the seventh. He would strike out three, through two innings of work, and Enrique Santana closed out the no hitter, with two strikeouts in the ninth to secure the historic win. First baseman Curtis Terry led the offense with three runs batted in, and the Boxcars claimed 4-0 victory for the very first time.
The Boxcars battled to gritty losses on Friday and Saturday at York, 5-4 and 7-6 respectively. Joe Palumbo started on the mound Friday evening, extending the Boxcars no hitting start to the season to seven innings. After four, the Revs carried a one run lead, until Abiatal Avelino sent a bomb to left field – the first homerun in Flying Boxcar’s history. Despite cutting the lead to one, in the eighth, the Boxcars could not finish off the comeback and fell 5-4.
On Saturday, the Boxcars fell behind and found themselves in a 7-4 hole, before outfielder Magneuris Sierra’s heroics brough the Boxcars back into the game. Abreu and Sierra registered hits in the eighth to cut the deficit to one, and Magneuris Sierra made a leaping grab to rob York of a homerun in the bottom of the 8th to keep Hagerstown in it, however, the Boxcars found themselves down 7-6 to finish the night.
The Boxcars fought back on Sunday afternoon, splitting the series at two a piece. After being up one run for the majority of the game, the Boxcars fell behind in the 8th inning to a York grand slam. Down three in the ninth, the Boxcars went to work, and Magneuris Sierra hit a double off the wall to score two and tie up the game at four, enroute to taking a 5-4 win in the ninth and overcoming the eighth inning grand slam.
Key Players:
RHP Parker Markel (6 IP; 7 SO; combined no hitter)
OF Magneuris Sierra (8 for 18; 1 2B; 3 RBI; 1 SB)