Barnstormers Blanked Twice
September 20, 2012 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
The Lancaster Barnstormers went 88 games without being shut out. On Wednesday evening, it happened twice.
Bridgeport blanked the Barnstormers in both ends of a twi-night doubleheader, 1-0 and 2-0, as the Barnstormers quest for the Atlantic League wins record was put off for another night.
Meanwhile, Lancaster remained one game ahead of the York Revolution in the second half standings with four games left on the schedule as York fell, 6-3, at Sugar Land. Bridgeport failed to make up ground on Southern Maryland, which also swept a doubleheader. The Bluefish trail the Blue Crabs by 1 1/2 games in the Liberty Division.
Willis Otaanez gave the Bluefish a 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI single in the first inning of the opener. His single to left plated Kennard Jones, who scored from second, barely beating the throw home from left fielder Blake Gailen.
Bridgeport would manage only three more singles in the games off starter Alan Johnson (14-6), who needed only 67 pitches to go the distance.
Lancaster had several chances to tie the game but could never muster the key hit. The Barnstormers collected three singles in the second, but a double play interrupted the inning.
In the fifth, Travis Denker led off with a walk from Mike Ness (2-0). The right-hander went to 3-2 on Emerson Frostad. Denker took off for second as Frostad struck out. Angel Flores' throw ended up in center, and Denker motored to third. Kyle Haines walked, but Ness struck out Gilberto Mejia and got Adam Godwin on a grounder to short to end the threat.
Lancaster had two singles in the sixth, but Denker flied to left ending the inning. Rommie Lewis was brought in for the ninth. Kyle Haines stroked a one-out grounder on the left side. Brad Boyer made a diving stop, but his hurried throw bounced into the Bridgeport dugout, sending Haines to second. Mejia grounded out, and Godwin struck out, giving Lewis his seventh save.
The second game featured a matchup of the two premier left-handed starters in the Atlantic League, Lancaster's John Halama and Bridgeport's Paul Oseguera.
Oseguera (12-6) dominated. He held the Barnstormers on two hits over the seven innings while walking nobody and striking out nine. Both Lancaster hits were ground ball singles. Lentini placed one through the left side in the second. Mejia singled off the glove of shortstop Eddie Rogers with two outs in the sixth.
Halama (13-8) surrendered two runs, more than Oseguera would need, in the bottom of the third. Joey Gathright bounced a one-out double over the head of first baseman Tommy Everidge. Rogers grounded out, sending Gathright to third, and the runner scored when Prentice Redman rode a 3-0 pitch down the left field line. Otanez followed with a single to center for the 2-0 lead.
The series will conclude on Thursday evening. J.D. Durbin (14-9) will make the start for Lancaster against left-hander Gilbert De La Vara (11-9). Fans may tune into 1390-AM, WLAN; 1600-AM, WPDC; 1390wlan.com or the I Heart Radio cell phone app beginning at 6:45.
NOTES: Lancaster was held without an extra-base hit for the first time since July 14...Lentini tied the club hits record (Michael Woods, 2008) with 170...Halama broke the previous team records for innings pitched (186.2) and quality starts (20), both previously held by Denny Harriger in 2006...For only the third time this season, the Barnstormers lost the first two games of a series...All three have been on doubleheader losses...This is the first time all season that the Barnstormers are one game from being swept in a series.
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Atlantic League Stories from September 20, 2012
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- Lancaster Sets Record; Bluefish Fall - Bridgeport Bluefish
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- Ducks Win 5-1 over Patriots to Split Series - Somerset Patriots
- Fan Appreciation Weekend has arrived - Camden Riversharks
- Today Is Unused Ticket Day - Bridgeport Bluefish
- Barnstormers Blanked Twice - Lancaster Stormers
- Patriots Outlast Ducks in 17 - Long Island Ducks
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