AFL Iowa Barnstormers

Barnstormers Fail to Produce After Loading Bases in Ninth

July 24, 2013 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Iowa Barnstormers News Release


For the fifth consecutive ballgame, the tying run died on the basepaths in the final inning.

Lancaster loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, then made three outs on two pitches as the Sugar Land Skeeters held on for a 4-2 victory in the rubber game of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The Barnstormers end the series six games behind the Skeeters in the Freedom Division.

After battling back from a 4-0 deficit on solo homers by Kyle Russell and Daryle Ward, Lancaster faced Gary Majewski in the ninth. Russell ripped a long double to right center to get the Barnstormers rolling, and Travis Denker lined a single into left, putting runners at first and third. Jason Taylor was asked to bunt Denker to scoring position and was able to reach on a perfect bunt single down the third base line.

Majewski then coaxed Gustavo Molina to sky out to shallow right field on the first pitch. Lancaster manager Butch Hobson went to his bench for Olmo Rosario to bat for Kyle Haines. Rosario beat Majewski's first offering to third baseman Russ Mitchell who turned a game-ending 5-4-3 double play for his 10th save.

Sugar Land struck for a pair of runs in the first inning off Lenny DiNardo (4-7). Jeff Dominguez picked up a leadoff walk and moved to second on a single by Adam Godwin. Reid Gorecki bunted the runners to second and third, and Travis Scott drove Dominguez home with a long sacrifice fly to right. DiNardo fell behind Aaron Bates, 3-0, and walked him intentionally. Ryan Langerhans followed with a single to center for a 2-0 lead.

Dominic Ramos singled to start the second, advanced on a sacrifice and a ground ball and scored on a passed ball for a 3-0 edge, and Gorecki greeted DiNardo with a leadoff homer in the fourth.

The Barnstormers whiffed on a chance to narrow the gap in the fifth. Molina led off with a single to center and moved to second on Haines' sacrifice bunt. Jerry Owens picked up a walk, bringing Blake Gailen to the plate as the tying run. Greg Aquino (5-1) sailed a fastball off the glove of catcher Travis Scott with the ball deflecting up the third base line. Molina tried to advance and was cut down. Gailen followed with a single to right. Owens stopped at third, but Langerhans fired through to the plate. Scott made a leaping stop of the throw and fired to second, erasing Gailen with the help of an acrobatic tag by Ramos.

Fittingly, Ward led off the next inning with his home run.

The Barnstormers will host the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in a four-game series beginning Thursday evening at 7:00 on Christmas in July. Lancaster will send right-hander Dwayne Pollok (10-3) to the hill. 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: Ross Peeples appeared in his 294th Barnstormers game and is now two shy of the league record for most appearances with one ballclub...Owens has now hit safely in 38 of 41 games...Godwin went 5-for-5, becoming the first opposing player to collect five hits in a game since Wayne Lydon performed the feat for Somerset on July 3, 2010...Godwin had six hits in a game for the Barnstormers at Long Island last August...Molina threw Godwin out twice and is now 15-for-34 (44.1%) throwing out runners on the year.



Arena Football League Stories from July 24, 2013


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