AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers Squeeze Their Way To Split

Published on June 26, 2011 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


One play led to a Barnstormers win and the ejection of two of their personnel Sunday evening as Lancaster edged Somerset, 2-1, to gain a split of a doubleheader.

Earlier, Josh Pressley's three-run homer lifted the Patriots to a 9-5 win in the opener.

With the split, the Barnstormers remained one full game ahead of the York Revolution who won their eighth straight game.

Aaron Herr doubled to right field off Chris Oxspring (0-4) with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Alvin Colina scalded a single to center, sending Herr to third. Gilberto Mejia, who had been 1-for-17 in the series, dragged a bunt up the first base line. Herr scored easily as the Barnstormers took the 2-1 lead. Meanwhile, Oxspring made a hurried throw to first, and Mejia was called out. He argued vehemently and got the thumb from first base umpire Chris Rick.

Manager Butch Hobson darted across the infield and took over the argument. It took very little time for Rick to toss Hobson and even less time for the Barnstormers skipper to return the favor, signaling for the umpire to leave as well. Hobson went over to first base, yanked it from its moorings, signed it and handed it to a fan near the Lancaster dugout.

Lancaster was unable to produce any more offense, and it was up to the bullpen to hold the lead after Yunior Novoa worked four innings in a spot start. Ross Peeples (6-2) retired the side in order in the fifth, working between starts. Kris Regas opened the sixth, then left after yielding a one-out single to left by Fernando Cortez. Justin Segal became Lancaster's fourth pitcher of the game. Cortez promptly stole second, and Michael Hernandez walked to put the lead run on base. Segal, who induced a critical double play from Pressley on Saturday night, did so again on Sunday as the Patriots slugger rapped a quick comebacker to the mound.

Jonah Bayliss walked Jeff Nettles to start the seventh. Pinch runner Elliott Ayala moved to second on Matt Hagen's sacrifice bunt and to third on a topper by Yusuf Carter. John Pachot stroked a seemingly innocent grounder to third, but it was juggled momentarily by Herr. He recovered in time for a throw which was dug out of the dirt by Tommy Everidge to preserve the win as Bayliss recorded his first save.

Pressley's jolt to right center in the third inning of game one followed a sacrifice fly by Hernandez as Somerset bolted out to a 4-0 lead. J.C. Holt got two runs back in the bottom of the inning with a single to center, but the Patriots kept swinging away against John Halama (1-1).

Wayne Lydon doubled down the third base line to start the fifth and moved up on a bunt single by Norris Hopper. Lydon scored on a double play grounder for a 5-2 lead. Somerset was able to restart the inning on a walk to Pressley. Nettles followed with an RBI double, and Justin Huber added another run with a bad hop single off the shoulder of Mejia at second.

Kevin Reese (2-1) worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs to notch the first game win for Somerset.

The five-game series concludes on Monday evening at 7:00. Lancaster will send right-hander J.D. Durbin (0-0) to the mound against the Patriots Derrell McCall (1-2). The game will be aired on Fox Sports Radio, 1490, WLPA and streamed live on sportsjuice.com and ibnsports.com.

NOTES: Holt lost a hitting streak at nine in the second game...The second game also marked just the second time that Ben Copeland has started and not reached base safely...Tim McNab extended his streak of walkless innings to 16 by retiring all four batters he faced in the first game...Peeples' win was his 22nd as a Barnstormer...Lancaster tied a season low with only three hits in the second game...Novoa has allowed only one run in his last 9 1/3 innings of work.

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Atlantic League Stories from June 26, 2011


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