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AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers move to brink of clinching

July 5, 2006 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


Denny Harriger stood tall as the #1 starter in the Barnstormers rotation Wednesday evening, firing a complete-game eight-hitter as the Lancaster Barnstormers moved to the edge of their first-ever division title with a 6-1 win over the Bridgeport Bluefish at Harbor Yard.

Combined with Atlantic City?s loss in the second game of a doubleheader earlier in the day, the Lancaster win dropped the club?s magic number for locking up the first half title to one. Either a Barnstormers win or a Surf loss over the weekend will put Lancaster in the playoffs in September. Somerset was eliminated from the race by virtue of the Lancaster win.

Harriger (8-2) scattered the eight hits over five different innings. He walked none and stuck out five along the way. The route-going effort took 111 pitches, 73 of which were strikes.

The 36-year old right-hander from the Pittsburgh area needed received some huge help from his outfielders. Jutt Hileman began an 8-6-2 relay that cut Deivi Cruz down at the plate for the final out in the first inning. Quincy Foster played Norm Hutchins? drive off the left field wall to lead off the fifth inning and nailed him with a perfect throw at second. Eric Crozier made a terrific diving catch in right center on a line drive by Damian Rolls in the sixth inning.

The only Bridgeport run of the night came on Bryant Nelson?s two-out homer to right in the bottom of the fifth.

Lancaster, which left 13 runners on base without scoring in each of the first two games of the series, stranded three in the first inning and nearly did so again in the second. With one our, Crozier singled to third, Kris Dufner grounded a single into right field and Travis Hake hit a dribble up the third base line which T.J. Mathews (8-3) fielded but could not get an out at any base. Danny Gonzalez fouled to the catcher for the second out of the inning. Quincy Foster, batting third in the order with Reggie Taylor out of the lineup, laid a bunt down on the third base side. Buzz Hannahan charged the play and made a barehanded pickup, but his throw to first pulled Rolls off the bag, allowing Foster to reach on the error as a run scored. Jeremy Todd followed with a double inside the first base bag, scoring three more.

Gonzalez homered to lead off the fourth for a 5-0 lead, and Todd singled Gonzalez home with an additional run in the sixth for Lancaster's final tally.

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