Lancaster Tops Bridgeport, 7-6
August 28, 2015 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
The Lancaster Barnstormers strung together six straight hits, producing five runs, in the top of the fourth inning on Friday night then held on for a 7-6 victory over the Bridgeport Bluefish at Harbor Yard.
Lancaster, with the win, stayed 2 1/2 games ahead of the surging York Revolution in the Freedom Division standings. York won its fourth straight, defeating Somerset, 10-6, in New Jersey.
With one out in the fourth, Mike McDade ripped a double to the alley in left center off Matt Iannazzo (5-9). He moved to third on a loud single past third by Brian Cavazos-Galvez and scored on a soft liner up the middle by Lance Zawadzki. Kevin Rivers tied the game with a smash into center. With Yusuke Kajimoto at the plate, Zawadzki broke for third. Catcher Jobduan Morales sailed his throw into left as Zawadzki scrambled to his feet to race home with the lead run. Kajimoto drilled a triple, his second of the night, into left center to score Rivers. Juan Apodaca followed with his own triple on a drive deep into right center to plate Kajimoto for a 6-3 lead.
Bridgeport bounced right back in the bottom of the inning. Jeudy Valdez singled and stole second off Joe Gardner (8-4). Matt Wessinger walked, and Ethan Chapman blooped a single over the infield to cut the lead to 6-4. Following a force play grounder by Bryan Sabatella, Matt Burns, singled into left to score Wessinger.
Gardner, though, never surrendered the lead. He retired Wellington Dotel and Andres Rodriguez to end the fourth, faced only three batters in the fifth and survived an error to open the sixth.
The Barnstormers produced a needed insurance run in the eighth. Cavazos-Galvez was hit by a pitch with one out. The Lancaster steals leader swiped second and third off Sam Gervacio and Morales then scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Zawadzki.
That run was just enough. Dotel reached Marcus Walden for a bloop hit into right center to start the ninth. Walden got two outs with Dotel advancing each time. The game appeared to be over when Morales stroked a routine grounder to third, but Kent Matthes, still playing the infield with injuries to Anderson Feliz and Luke Hughes, threw wildly to first base. That put the tying run in scoring position, but Walden got Valdez on a Baltimore chop to the right side, earning his eighth save.
The series continues on Saturday with Nate Reed (5-7) taking the mound against lefty Brandon Bixler (0-0). Game time is 6:05.
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Atlantic League Stories from August 28, 2015
- Revs Win Fourth Straight Behind Big Eighth - York Revolution
- Sexton Pitches a Gem to Send the Blue Crabs to Victory - Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
- Lancaster Tops Bridgeport, 7-6 - Lancaster Stormers
- Blue Crabs Pinch Ducks in Friday Night Contest - Long Island Ducks
- Revolution Top Patriots 10-6 - Somerset Patriots
- Somerset Patriots Pitcher Lucas Irvine Signed by Arizona Diamondbacks - Somerset Patriots
- Scott Matches All-Time Home Run Record in Setback - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Somerset Patriots Pitcher Lucas Irvine Signed by Arizona Diamondbacks - Somerset Patriots
- Allan Houston Celebrity Softball Game Postponed - Bridgeport Bluefish
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