Ack Goes All the Way
July 24, 2008 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
Eric Ackerman threw the first complete game of his seven-year professional career, guiding the Lancaster Barnstormers to an 8-3 victory Thursday evening in the opener of a four-game series against the Newark Bears at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
The Lancaster-area native allowed 11 hits but no walks in improving his season record to 4-6. With the win, the Barnstormers climbed back into a second place tie in the Freedom Division, just one game behind Somerset in the second half.
Ackerman's night got off to a rough start. With one out in the first inning, Ramon Castro launched his 11th home run of the season, a drive over the walkway adjacent to the picnic pavilion in right center field. Keith Reed, the next batter, followed suit with a line drive homer down the right field line into the deck for a 2-0 lead.
Disaster loomed in the next inning. Ruben Mateo led off with a bloop single down the right field line. Scott Knazek hit a soft liner that fooled second baseman Lloyd Turner for a second hit, and Tim Sweeney grounded a single into left to load the bases. Ackerman got Mike Just to line out to Danny Gonzalez, then struck out Vic Gutierrez and Castro to escape the inning and eventually change the course of the game.
Newark did stretch the lead to 3-0 in the third. Reed doubled over the head of left fielder Mike Woods and moved to third on a one-out single by Raul Gonzalez. Mateo produced the run with a sacrifice fly.
Lancaster finally reached Mike Bumstead, the league's leading winner, in the bottom of the third. Ivanon Coffie launched his fifth homer of the season down the right field line for the Barnstormers' first run. Woods followed with a single to center and moved up on a walk to Gonzalez. After Bumstead picked up the first out on a fly ball, Matt LeCroy singled to center to load the bases. Manny Mejia sliced one run off the lead with a sacrifice fly to right field. Jose Herrera's throw to the plate was wide, with Gonzalez heading to third and LeCroy taking second. Turner rifled a line drive into right center field, driving home two and ended up at third with a triple as Gonzalez and Herrera knocked each other off the ball.
From there, Danny Gonzalez took over the game. He doubled home Woods with a drive high off the wall in right center in the fourth then chased Bumstead with a three-run homer into the screen above Home Run Harbor in the sixth.
It was also Gonzalez who helped Ackerman finish the game. With two outs in the ninth, after singles by Sweeney and Just, Gutierrez stroked a grounder on the left side. Gonzalez went deep into the hole and fired to Turner, barely forcing Just to close out the night.
NOTES: LeCroy extended his hitting streak to 16 games with the single in the third...The four-RBI game for Gonzalez was the first by a Barnstormer since LeCroy drove in four on July 1...Ackerman has allowed 12 homers to right-handed batters this season and only one to a lefty...Turner's triple was his seventh of the season, tying him with Quincy Foster for the franchise record...Jason Scobie (0-0) will start for the Barnstormers on Friday night against Benito Baez (4-3)...Game time is 7:05.
Atlantic League Stories from July 24, 2008
- Bluefish earn extra inning win - Bridgeport Bluefish
- Ack Goes All the Way - Lancaster Stormers
- Babula signs with Bears...again - Newark Bears
- Riversharks Add Right Hander Dittfurth - Camden Riversharks
- Patriots All-Star Outfielder Michael Ryan Signed By Florida Marlins - Somerset Patriots
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