AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers Hang On For Doubleheader Sweep

Published on July 19, 2011 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


For the 2011 Barnstormers, winning is never easy. It just happens regularly.

Jonah Bayliss retired John Pachot on a line drive to third, finally putting to rest a 6-5 Lancaster win in the second game of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader to complete a sweep of the Somerset Patriots. Lancaster had taken a 3-2 victory in an 11-inning opening game.

Lancaster jumped out to a big early lead in game two. The Barnstormers picked up six hits in the first inning off Bill Pulsipher (2-5) with Matt Watson, Aaron Herr and Adam Calderone driving in runs on consecutive hits in the middle of the order for a 3-0 lead.

Tommy Everidge slugged his 14th homer of the season, a line drive off the second tier of signs in left, for a 4-0 lead in the second.

J.D. Durbin shut the struggling Patriots out on two hits through four innings, but Norris Hopper and Joe Holden grounded singles through the right side to open the bottom of the fifth. Fernando Cortez slapped a double inside the third base bag for the first run, and Jeff Nettles chimed in with a sacrifice fly to cut the Lancaster lead to 4-2.

Gilberto Mejia doubled home a run in the top of the sixth with the fourth of his five hits. He, in turn, scored on a single flared to left field by J.C. Holt, and the Barnstormers appeared to be in control with a 6-2 edge.

However, Durbin (4-1), working on three days rest, faded in the sixth, giving up three straight two-out hits with Hopper driving home a run.

Then, the game got really weird. Adam Calderone was called out on an appeal to third base after apparently scoring on an Ozzie Chavez fly ball to left in the seventh. Justin Segal, who got the final out of the sixth with the bases loaded, hit the first two batters in the seventh. T.J. Beam got a double play out of Elliott Ayala to avoid a mess there.

The bottom of the eighth produced the strangest play of all. John Pachot led off with a high bouncer near the third base bag. Chavez thought the ball was foul and flipped it into the crowd. Both the plate and third base umpires said "fair", and Pachot was awarded second base. A wild pitch from Evan Englebrook sent Pachot to third, and he scored on Hopper's third straight single to right. Joe Holden sacrificed Hopper to second, and the former Red stole third. Fernando Cortez walked before Michael Hernandez cut the lead to one with a long sacrifice fly to center. Cortez stole second, but Englebrook was able to sneak out of the inning with the lead as Nettles flied out to shallow right.

Bayliss got the first two outs easily in the bottom of the ninth, but pinch hitter Josh Pressley singled up the middle after a long battle. Pachot worked the count to 3-2 before lining to Chavez to end the game.

In the opener, Herr snapped a 2-2 tie with a leadoff homer in the 11th inning, sending Lancaster to a 3-2 victory over the Patriots, keeping the Barnstormers a perfect 7-0 in extra inning games in 2011.

Herr's opposite field homer, his first long ball on the road this season, came off Jason Anderson (2-2), breaking a tie that had lasted since the fifth inning.

A homer by Watson gave Lancaster a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. The Barnstormers would load the bases on a clean single by Angel Flores and two bunt base hits to start the third but managed only one run on a double play grounder by Iggy Suarez.

Justin Huber homered off Yunior Novoa with one out in the fourth, the last Somerset base hit until a two-out single by Norris Hopper in the 11th inning. Somerset used a dropped third strike, throwing error, balk and sacrifice fly by Matt Hagen to piece together the tying run in the fifth. Following the dropped third strike on Ayala, Barnstormers pitching retired 20 consecutive batters.

Jon Huber (1-0) pitched the bottom of the tenth, striking out two of the three hitters, to earn the win. Bayliss got his first save of the day.

The two teams return to the field on Wednesday evening. John Halama (2-2) makes his first start since a complete game shutout against York on July 8. Somerset will counter with right-hander Derell McCall (2-5). The game will be aired on Fox Sports Radio, 1490, WLPA and streamed live on sportsjuice.com.

NOTES: The Barnstormers are 19-5 in one-run games and 9-0 in games that have been tied at the end of eight innings...Watson has three homers and three doubles in a six-game hitting streak...Mejia had the fourth five-hit game by a Barnstormer in franchise history and the second of the season...Bayliss is 8-for-8 in save chances and has thrown nine consecutive scoreless, one-inning appearances...The Barnstormers are 8-4 on the season against the arch-nemesis Patriots, 5-1 at TD Bank Ballpark.

Check out the Lancaster Stormers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Atlantic League Stories from July 19, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central