Hub City Drops Series to Frederick

The Hub City Spartanburgers wrapped up the first half of the 2026 season this week in the midst of a seven-game series against the Frederick Keys. While the Burgers had no playoff implications from the results of the week, the Keys entered within striking distance of the Greensboro Grasshoppers in the near neck-and-neck race for the South Atlantic League North Division first half championship. 

Thus, Hub City would look to play spoiler and gain some confidence against a playoff contender with a potent offense. These two teams last met back in April on the season’s opening weekend in which Hub City dropped the three-game set, losing the first two games 6-0 and 7-6. The finale — originally set for Easter Sunday, was postponed due to rain, making for a double header in this series that would prove to be crucial in Frederick’s pursuit of a first half lock into the SAL postseason. 

The series began Tuesday night, and opened with a new season-high for the Burgers. Enrique Segura earned his first win of the season with 5 scoreless innings in which he gave up two hits, did not walk a single batter, and struck out five. The bullpen backed it up with four more goose eggs. Anthony Susac threw two hitless with a walk and a strikeout. Kai Wynyard walked two in his lone frame while Case Matter finished it off by working around a two out triple in the bottom of the ninth.

At the plate, Hub City’s offense produced four runs across the middle innings. Maxton Martin started the scoring with a one out, two-run triple in the top of the fourth. The next inning, Yeison Morrobel continued his tear at the plate —which would carry over throughout the course of the series, doubling in a run with one away. Gleider Figuereo trotted home on a wild pitch in the sixth for the game’s final run as the Spartanburgers went on to win their sixth straight and ninth of the last ten coming into the series. 

That season-longest win streak would end in Wednesday’s double header. Brock Porter got the start in the first game, but after Yeison Morrobel gave Hub City the lead with a second inning two out single that plated Ben Hartl, the Keys would go on to plate nine unanswered — chasing Porter from the game after just two and two-thirds with six earned on six hits to accompany two walks and a strikeout. Josh Sanders went the final three and a third, surrendering three runs (two earned) with a walk and three retired on strikes. Hub City added two in the top of the seventh on a two-bagger from Figuereo and a sac fly from Martin, but they fell 9-3. 

Fortunes did not improve in the second game of the twin bill as Frederick, playing as the away team, chased J’Briell Easley in the first inning after allowing each of the first three batters to reach on a pair of walks and a single. Victor Figueroa dealt a decisive blow with a grand slam. Ben DeTaeye and Cole Roland gave up a combined five more runs over four and a third on seven hits. Despite Jesús Gamez and Theo Hardy hanging goose eggs over the last two frames, the offense was only able to muster one run — a two out double from Antonis Macias that scored Quincy Scott II in the top of the seventh.

The losing skid extended to three Thursday night, but the good news is that the Burger bats finally began to find a rhythm. On the mound, Kamdyn Perry took his first loss at the High A level after tossing three and a third, surrendering six earned on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Luke Savage, Adrian Rodriguez, and Kai Wynyard combined to keep the Keys off the scoreboard the rest of the way, which allowed the offense to chip their way back in. 

The Spartanburgers actually took an early lead when Morrobel took the second pitch of the game out of right for a leadoff homer. After a three spot in the bottom of the first, Hector Osorio cut it to a one run game with a two out solo shot in the third. Frederick answered, opening up a 6-2 lead, but Hub City’s offense mounted a late inning rally. Morrobel launched another leadoff homer in the eighth, and later collected his third RBI of the day on a single in the ninth to cap a 4-5 night. Luke Hanson later pulled the Burgers to within a run with a double, but the Keys held on for a 6-5 victory. 

The first half and the division title was wrapped up for Frederick on Friday night with the lowest-scoring contest of the week. Caden Scarborough went four and two-thirds in the start, surrendering just one earned on two hits with a walk and nine strikeouts. Unfortunately, his opponent outdueled him. Yeiber Cartaya went six shutout frames with three hits and walks striking out six. 

Frederick built a 3-0 lead after Yasmin Bucee hit a two-run blast off Aidan Deakins, who ended up finishing the final three and a third with three hits, a walk, and two strikeouts. Hub City was not without their chances to break the game open. Morrobel drove in the only runs in the 3-2 setback, but he also left six runners on base by himself. 

Saturday night, the Spartanburgers offense overcame a deficit twice. Frederick took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, but Hub City went on to score the next five unanswered thanks to Figuereo and Morrobel. With the bases loaded and no out in the top of the fourth, Gleider cracked the scoreboard with a sac fly. Morrobel singled in a run in the fifth before Figuereo delivered a two-run shot for the lead in the sixth. Theo Hardy then added on with an RBI squeeze bunt. 

Frederick struck back with five runs — a four spot in the bottom of the frame and a single run in the seventh. But, Morrobel came up clutch with a three run game-tying shot in the ninth with two out, forcing extra innings after Wynyard retired the side in order in the home half. 

The Burgers hung a five spot in the tenth on a leadoff double from Figuereo, who tied with Morrobel for the team lead in runs batted in with four when ghost runner Quincy Scott scored on the play. Hardy later bought the insurance with a one out three run homer — his first since rejoining the Spartanburgers from Frisco. A bases-loaded walk to Scott later added a 13th run and Wynyard sat the side in order once more to seal a 13-8 win for Hub City. 

Sunday, Izack Tiger got his first start after four appearances this season for the Arizona Complex League Rangers. He was staked to an early 3-0 lead after Hub City capitalized on a bases-loaded one out situation. Martin singled in a run, a wild pitch plated Osorio, and a sac fly from Scott II brought home Figuereo. Tiger would end up going two and two-thirds with five hits, four earned, no walks, and four strikeouts. DeTaeye finished the third before giving way to DJ McCarty, the usual Sunday starter for Hub City. 

McCarty notched a quality start for a win a week ago against Asheville, but he was not as on point in the series finale in Frederick despite tossing the last five innings. The Keys tagged him for four runs (three earned) on three hits — two of which were home runs, going with three strikeouts and walks. 

Down 8-3 in the ninth, Hub City was able to mount yet another late rally, plating two on a base knock from Macias and a double play off the bat of Hanson. But, the Burgers fell 8-5 to finish the week 2-5. 

Hub City (1-2 on the 2nd half) returns home this week for a crucial series with the Winston-Salem Dash. The six-game set begins Tuesday night at 6:35.