AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers Blow Late Lead, Fall In 12

Published on September 10, 2010 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


The Lancaster Barnstormers watched a three-run lead slowly disappear in the late innings, then finally fell to the Bridgeport Bluefish, 9-8, in the bottom of the 12th Thursday evening at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

With the loss, Lancaster fell five games behind the division leading Somerset Patriots, who were idle on Thursday.

With one out in the bottom of the 12th, Tike Redman picked up a walk from Rick Bauer (0-4). A single to center by Steve Moss chased Redman to third, and he scored when Josh Phelps took center fielder Joe Gaetti deep into the right center field alley for a sacrifice fly.

The Barnstormers had a lead as late as the bottom of the ninth, when Tim Hamulack entered following a five-out performance in Wednesday's second game. The left-hander fanned Moss to lead off the ninth, then walked Phelps on a 3-2 pitch to put the tying run aboard. Luis Lopez fought back from an 0-2 deficit to single up the middle. Victor Mercedes was retired on a pop up to third for the second out. Hamulack got ahead of Hiram Bocachica at 0-2, but the Bridgeport second baseman survived a borderline call on the next pitch before punching a single to center, scoring Phelps with the tying tally.

Bridgeport had put together a 4-0 lead on six singles off starter Jose Sanchez in the third and fourth innings, the biggest of which was a two-out, two-run liner to right by Brandon Chaves in the fourth.

The Barnstormers fought back brilliantly.

Octavio Martinez put Lancaster on the board in the fifth with an RBI single to right center. That rally was cut short when Adam Witter was cut down at the plate two batters later on a single through the right side by Lloyd Turner.

The comeback resumed the next inning when Aaron Herr took Denny Stark over the home run wall in left for a two-run blast, his 20th homer of the season, cutting the lead to 4-3. Then, it hit full throttle in the seventh.

Martinez got the inning started with a single into center, and Joe Gaetti followed with a walk. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt up the first base side by Turner, and L.J. Biernbaum produced the tying marker with a ground single into right. Bridgeport summoned Chris Rivera from the bullpen, and Bryant Nelson greeted him with a drag bunt past the mound for an RBI single, giving Lancaster its first lead of the evening. Herr knocked a single into right center to score Biernbaum, and Nelson came across later in the inning when Ryan Mulhern rapped a ground single through the left side.

Nelson countered an RBI single by Phelps in the bottom of the seventh with his second of the night, a smash off the leg of reliever Jorge Perez in the top of the eighth, and the Barnstormers carried the 8-5 lead into the bottom of the inning.

It didn't take long for Bridgeport to make it a one-run contest. Bocachica led off the inning with a towering homer to left off Tim McNab, and Luis Rodriguez followed with a triple to right center. Rodriguez scored on a sacrifice fly by Chaves.

Lancaster travels to York to open a four-game, three-day series with a Friday night game at 6:30. Wayne Franklin (2-3) will make the start for Lancaster. He will be opposed by right-hander Matt DeSalvo (3-1).

NOTES: Nelson has now driven in 17 runs in the last seven games...Herr closed to within five of the franchise RBI record with three...He has 94 on the season; 56 in his last 60 games...Martinez extended a hitting streak to six games...He is 10-for-26 (.385)...Bauer had entered the game in the 10th and worked out of a bases-loaded jam that he inherited...Lancaster has lost 10 games this season that it has led entering the final two innings...The Barnstormers dropped their fourth straight extra-inning game...Lancaster plays its entire remaining schedule in PA.

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Atlantic League Stories from September 10, 2010


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