Burlington wraps up Appy East crown

The Rookie-level Burlington Royals left little doubt Tuesday as to whether they would be playing in the postseason this year.

Burlington swept Danville in a doubleheader by identical 9-2 scores to lay claim to the Appalachian League East Division crown.

"The guys knew where we stood in the standings and they've been playing great all season," Burlington manager Scott Thorman said. "They've been pouring it on the last week. We're just trying to keep them loose and let them go out there and play their game. They had a lot of energy these guys. Everybody has contributed, one through nine. They're playing with that confidence that they know the next guy is going to get it done if they don't."

As has been the case this season, the Royals got a big boost from their pitching. Travis Eckert (4-1) gave up a run on four hits and fanned six over five innings in the opener and Cristian Castillo improved to 6-3 after allowing four hits and two walks while striking out one over five scoreless frames in the nightcap.

"Our pitching has been excellent this year," said the skipper, a former Major Leaguer. "We've been leading the league or second in the league all season. It's been a team effort from Game 1. The guys have been playing great defense, we've had great pitching, we've had timely hitting.

"Our starters have been consistent all year going deep into games. Our bullpen has done a nice job holding it down for them."

Kort Peterson, whose .347 average stands second on the circuit to Johnson City's Allen Cordoba (.359), collected three hits and scored a run in the double dip. Chris DeVito drove in his 50th run of the season in the nightcap, tying him for the league lead with Bluefield's Bradley Jones. Peterson, Castillo and utility infielder Nicky Lopez were named to the Appy League All-Star Team on Aug. 23, with Castillo earning Pitcher of the Year kudos. Thorman was selected as Manager of the Year.

It marked the first time the Royals have won the division or reached the playoffs since the 2012 season.

"They're having a lot of fun right now," Thorman said. "They're celebrating with loud music and having a good time. They deserve it, they worked hard. It's been a positive year, but we're not done yet. We're gonna take a moment and celebrate tonight and get ready for the playoffs."

RockHounds clinch Texas League South: An 11-3 win over San Antonio on Tuesday night locked up a second-half division crown for Midland. The RockHounds will meet first-half winners Corpus Christi in the Texas League semifinals next week as they attempt to become the first team in nearly a century to win three consecutive league championships.