Another close one...
August 2, 2008 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
Despite a recent team hitting slump, the Lancaster Barnstormers simply refuse to lose their grip on first place in the Freedom Division.
Matt LeCroy hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game, and Lloyd Turner drove in the winning tally with a sacrifice fly in the 10th as the Barnstormers edged the York Revolution, 3-2, in front of 6,633 Saturday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
The rally represented a two-game swing in the standings with the Barnstormers now leading the division by two games over York instead of falling into a first place tie. Lancaster also leads the 2008 War of the Roses, seven games to five.
Initially the game was an intriguing matchup between two right-handers making their first Atlantic League starts. Former Yankee and Met, 31-year Juan Padilla was opening a game for only the third time in the professional career. For the Barnstormers, it was 25-year old Erik Dessau in his Atlantic League debut, two days after his arrival from his native St. Louis area and the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League.
Both more than held their own. Padilla, limited to just four innings on a pitch count, shut the Barnstormers down on two singles and a walk. He fanned one. Dessau fared only slightly worse, allowing one run on three hits over six innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out three.
York took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Kennard Jones led off with a singled flared to left field and, with one out, stole second. Chris Ashby roped a single into left, moving Jones to third. Jason Aspito lifted a pop fly to shallow right center. Turner, the second baseman, made a sliding, backhanded grab on the outfield lawn but could not get enough on the throw to double up the speedy Jones.
Dessau would not allow another base hit until Shea Hillenbrand's two-out single in the sixth inning.
Lancaster's sputtering offense could not get anything going until the sixth, and, even then, it took help from the Revolution to get a run across. Kevin Kotch started the inning with an infield single up the third base line and moved to second on a sacrifice by Turner. With Ivanon Coffie at the plate, reliever Dan Foli fired not one, but two, wild pitches, enabling Kotch to score the tying run.
The Barnstormers would leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth as would the Revolution in the top of the seventh. It was still 1-1 entering the ninth when both closers faltered.
Matt Esquivel greeted Lancaster lefty Ryan Cullen (4-4) with a booming double into left center. York played the situation to perfection with Luis Taveras sacrificing Esquivel to third and Jose Enrique Cruz plating the run with a sacrifice fly.
Nick McCurdy (1-2), who struck out the side in the ninth on Friday night, was again summoned. His first pitch of the night was smoked into the net above the right center field wall for LeCroy's seventh home run of the season. The York right-hander had no trouble for the remainder of the inning but could not get through the 10th.
He worked quickly ahead of Jutt Hileman, 0-2, to start the inning, but the Barnstormers center fielder rapped the next pitch barely fair down the first base line for a leadoff double. With pinch hitter Juan Francia up to bunt, McCurdy threw wildly high, giving Hileman third base. Francia lined to second, but Turner lifted a fly ball to deep left, forcing Esquivel to go back. His desperation throw was well wide of home plate as Hileman scored easily.
Atlantic League Stories from August 2, 2008
- Extra inning win Long Island's fourth in a row - Long Island Ducks
- Another close one... - Lancaster Stormers
- Bears claw through Patriots 11-3 - Somerset Patriots
- Sharks drop fourth in a row, 7-4 - Camden Riversharks
- Wade Returns To Ducks - Long Island Ducks
- Ducks Ink Big League Arm - Long Island Ducks
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