Barnstormers Grab "Must-Win" Opener
July 30, 2013 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
It was an equally exhausting travel day.
The Lancaster Barnstormers and Sugar Land Skeeters were on the same flight from Baltimore to Houston. Seven and a half hours after that flight landed at Hobby Airport, the teams reconvened at Constellation Field, and the Barnstormers prevailed, 10-7, in their longest nine inning game of the season.
With the win, the Barnstormers climbed back to within five games of the Skeeters in the second half race and within 6 1/2 of Somerset for a possible wild card spot.
Lancaster jumped ahead with a five-run second inning, recovering from a Travis Scott blast to right in the first. Ryan Harvey got it going with a single to left. He would take second and third on wild pitches and score on a one-out double to left center by Travis Denker. Dayton Buller singled on a diving stop by second baseman Jeff Dominguez, and Kyle Haines walked to load the bases. Jerry Owens cleaned the bags off with a triple to right center for a 4-1 lead, and Blake Gailen followed with an RBI single to center.
Sugar Land countered against Lenny DiNardo with three quirky runs in the bottom of the third, but Lancaster took command of the game on Ryan Harvey's second grand slam in four days, a drive to left center off Jared Wells in the fourth.
Russ Mitchell's two-run double inside the third base bag in the fifth chased DiNardo, one out short of win eligibility.
Lancaster's bullpen pinned the game down. Yoslan Herrera retired the four batters he faced, and Nate Reed (3-3) followed by getting the next six. An unearned run scored off Brodie Downs in the ninth, but Jason Urquidez struck out Josh Pressley on three straight fastballs to earn his 22nd save of the season.
The Barnstormers will take on Sugar Land again on Tuesday night. Dwayne Pollok (11-3) hits the mound for the Barnstormers against lefty Gilbert De La Vara (4-1). Fans may tune into 1390-AM, WLAN; 1600-AM, WPDC; 1390wlan.com or the I Heart Radio cell phone app, beginning at 7:45 EDT.
NOTES: Harvey broke Jutt Hileman's Barnstormers record for shortest time between grand slams by 16 days...He became the fourth Barnstormer to hit two in a season...Harvey has 16 RBI in eight games and 19 in 14...Gailen had his third straight multi-hit game...Rosario is 7-for-14 in the last four games...Lancaster has won six straight games with Dayton Buller behind the plate...
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Atlantic League Stories from July 30, 2013
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- Revs Edged By Riversharks, 3-2 - York Revolution
- Bluefish Edged by Patriots - Bridgeport Bluefish
- Somerset Wins Series Opener 4-1 over Bridgeport - Somerset Patriots
- Former Fish Makes it Back to the Big Leagues - Bridgeport Bluefish
- Bill Shipley Named Chairman of York Revolution - York Revolution
- Take a Duck To Class Returns - Long Island Ducks
- Barnstormers Grab "Must-Win" Opener - Lancaster Stormers
- Skeeters Fall to Lancaster in Opener of Four-Game Homestand, 10-7 - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
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