AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers Hex Over Bridgeport Ends

Published on August 5, 2015 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


For the first time in the last 17 meetings between the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Bridgeport Bluefish, Bridgeport came out on top. And, it was the same hurler that pitched them to victory the last time that topped the Barnstormers again.

D.J. Mitchell threw seven shutout innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out nine, pitching Bridgeport to a 6-2 victory over the Barnstormers, ending Lancaster's 16-game winning streak at Bridgeport's expense.

Mitchell (6-7) did not allow a runner to reach third base until the seventh inning when two wild pitches moved Lance Zawadzki around with two outs.

It was Mitchell who fired eight zeroes at the Barnstormers on July 24 last season with Pete Rose as guest manager of the Bluefish in Lancaster's last loss to Bridgeport. Mitchell, in fact, has been the winning pitcher in the only three games that the Bluefish have won in 26 tries against the Barnstormers since the beginning of 2014.

Former Lancaster infielder Wilson Batista lined a two-run homer down the right field line with two outs in the first to get the jump on Shunsuke Watanabe (5-4). Ethan Chapman's bloop hit into right drove in another run in the second, and Wellington Dotel slammed a leadoff homer to dead center in the third for a 4-0 edge.

Watanabe was chased in the fourth inning following an RBI fielder's choice by Bryant Nelson and the third of Dotel's four hits in the game. He surrendered seven hits and five runs in his 3 2/3 innings of work, his shortest start since May 6.

Bridgeport's other run came on four consecutive singles off Chad Beck in the seventh.

Lancaster finally reached the board in the eighth inning off Erik Draxton. Mike McDade and Brian Cavazos-Galvez reached on consecutive two-out chip shots into the outfield. Charlier Cutler picked up a walk to load the bases, and Luke Hughes got a run home with a ground single behind second base.

A double by Yusuke Kajimoto and single by Zach Collier produced the final run of the night.

Lancaster will send lefty Bryan Morgado (2-5) to the hill on Thursday night against former big league right-hander Kameron Loe (4-2). Fans may tune into 1390-AM, WLAN, rumba1390.com or the I Heart Radio cell phone app, beginning at 6:45.

NOTES: There were 24 strikeouts in the game...Lancaster tied a season high by striking out 14 times...Cutler was the only man in the lineup that did not fan...Kajimoto is 9-for-16 in his last four games...Collier has hit safely in six straight...Kyle Simon faced eight batters on 21 pitches, striking out four...Lancaster is 2-18 at Somerset, Bridgeport, Long Island and Southern Maryland this season.

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Atlantic League Stories from August 5, 2015


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