AtL Lancaster Stormers

Southern Maryland Breaks Tie in Ninth

Published on August 31, 2012 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


The best month of baseball in Lancaster Barnstormers history ended with a sudden loss.

Matt Padgett laced a 2-2 pitch out of the park down the right field line in the top of the ninth to send the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to a 7-6 win over the Barnstormers Friday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The loss was Lancaster's first in the last six games, following five one-sided victories. August ended with a record of 22-8 for the Barnstormers.

Padgett's homer off Jeff Bennett (4-6) came after a double play appeared to kill a budding rally. It was the 11th of the season for the Southern Maryland third baseman.

Casey Benjamin had tied the game with a homer to right center off Joe Bateman in the seventh.

The Blue Crabs jumped on league ERA leader Dwayne Pollok for a quick, 4-0 lead in the first inning. Singles by Mike Daniel, Brian Barton and Casey Benjamin loaded the bases. Jesse Gutierrez brought home two with a double to right center, and Padgett's dribbler up the first base line scored a third. Richard Mercado singled home Gutierrez with the fourth run, and the Blue Crabs would go on to load the bases before Pollok fanned Jeremy Owens for the final out.

Lancaster roared back. Ryan Harvey hit a towering homer that short hopped the chain link back fence in left to start off the Barnstormers second. Travis Denker followed with a double and eventually scored a second run on Bridger Hunt's smash up the middle. After a walk to Adam Godwin, Gilberto Mejia stepped in with the bases loaded. His swinging third strike got behind Mercado, but Mejia stayed near home plate. He did not break until Mercado threw the ball into right field. The Blue Crabs still got the out at first, negating any possible run to hold the 4-2 lead.

The Barnstormers used the long ball again in the fourth. Harvey hit a two-out blast to right center, and, once again, Denker followed with a double. Kody Kirkland was hit by a pitch. Francisco Hernandez planted a pitch from starter David Hunter Jones onto the left field hillside for a 6-4 lead.

Jones was pulled after the third inning, and the Blue Crabs relief corps checked the Barnstormers on just two singles over the rest of the game. Eduardo Morlan (3-2) notched the win, and Chris Mobley picked up his eighth save with a perfect ninth.

The series will continue on Saturday evening. Lancaster will send Alan Johnson (12-5) to the mound against right-hander Ben Moore (2-1). Fireworks will follow the game. Fans may tune into 1390-AM, WLAN; 1600-AM, WPDC; 1390wlan.com or the I Heart Radio cell phone app, beginning at 6:45.

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Atlantic League Stories from August 31, 2012


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