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Harvey Homer Boosts Barnstormers

August 12, 2012 - Atlantic League (AtL) Lancaster Barnstormers

Ryan Harvey slammed a long three-run homer to left in the first inning, and the Barnstormers pitching staff survived one bad inning as Lancaster bumped off the Sugar Land Skeeters, 8-5, Saturday evening at Constellation Field.

The win, Lancaster's ninth in the last 10 games, gave the Barnstormers a 3 1/2 game lead over Sugar Land in the Freedom Division.

Gilberto Mejia singled with one out in the first and stole the next two bases. Tommy Everidge walked, but starter Jeff Farnsworth (1-1, 1-3) nearly got out of the jam after getting ahead of Fehlandt Lentini, 1-2. Lentini went with the next pitch, grounding a single into right to put the Barnstormers ahead, 1-0. Harvey followed with his 14th home run of the second which hit off the back wall of advertising signs beyond the Sugar Land picnic tents as Lancaster built a 4-0 lead.

The Barnstormers continued to attack. Adam Godwin reached on an error to lead off the season, swiped second base, took third on an infield single by Mejia and scored when Blake Gailen grounded into a double play. Lentini walked to start the third, stole second, moved up on a grounder by Harvey and strode home on Kody Kirkland's single to left.

All of Sugar Land's offense came in the bottom of the third off Alan Johnson (10-5). Amadeo Zazueta singled to right, and Johnson hit Octavio Martinez with a pitch. Dionys Cesar singled home one run. Following an out as Martinez was caught in a rundown on Ofilio Castro's bounder to the mound, Bubba Bell brought the Skeeters one run closer with a single to right center. Josh Pressley took Johnson over the wall in left center for a three-run homer as the gap narrowed to 6-5.

It spelled the end for the Skeeters. Johnson allowed only an infield single and a walk over the next 2 2/3 innings, and the Barnstormers bullpen pitched four innings of perfect relief with Jeff Bennett recording his second save of the season.

Kirkland added an RBI double in the fifth, and Godwin belted his second homer of the season in the eighth to close the scoring for Lancaster.

The third game of the series comes up Sunday evening. Lancaster will send left-hander Horacio Ramirez (1-0) to the hill against fellow lefty Scott Kazmir (0-3). Fans may tune into 1390-AM, WLAN; 1600-AM, WPDC; 1390wlan.com or the I Heart Radio cell phone app beginning at 6:45 EDT.

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Atlantic League Stories from August 12, 2012


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