Barnstormers Survive Scare, Beat Ducks
June 15, 2018 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
From start to finish on Friday evening, the Lancaster Barnstormers held the lead. At the end, it nearly got away.
The Barnstormers struck for two runs in the top of the first inning and rode seven strong innings from Brooks Hall to a 5-3 victory over the Long Island Ducks at Bethpage Ballpark. Lancaster ended a three-game losing streak and maintained at least a three-game lead in the Freedom Division, pending the outcome of Sugar Land's game against the Road Warriors.
Darian Sandford led off the night with a double inside the third base bag, and Rico Noel followed with a walk. With both runners in motion, Blake Gailen hit a line drive to short that came off Dan Lyons' glove for an error. K.C. Hobson and Trayvon Robinson drove in runs with consecutive ground balls against John Brownell (3-5) as Lancaster went up, 2-0.
Single runs were exchanged from there.
Lew Ford doubled to lead off the Long Island second. He scored on infield outs. Gailen homered in the third as the Barnstormers rebuilt their two-run lead. Long Island quickly made up the run on an RBI double to right by Emilio Bonifacio in the home half of the inning.
The single runs carried into the fourth. Gailen delivered a two-out RBI single in the Lancaster half of the inning. Long Island again came back, scoring on a single by Ramon Cabrera smashed off Rico Noel's backhanded try.
A bases loaded walk to Noel gave the Barnstormers, who were 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position, a much needed insurance run in the eighth.
John Anderson and Kevin Munson split a scoreless eighth. Manager Ross Peeples sent Matt Reynolds to the mound for the ninth, the third straight game for the lefty closer. He struck out David Washington for the first out, but Taylor Ard singled. Cabrera hit a bouncer to short. Vladimir Frias took it to the bag for the force on Ard, but skipped his throw to first, allowing Cabrera to reach safely. Cody Puckett walked, bringing Dan Lyons to the plate with the tying runs aboard. Before flying out to center, Lyons rode a pitch deep into the left field corner that barely hooked foul.
Hall (3-2) worked seven innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs. He walked one and struck out five. Thirty-four of his 90 pitches came in the fourth inning.
The Barnstormers will send Joe Gardner (3-2) to the hill against Matt Larkins (4-1) on Saturday evening. Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:15.
NOTES: Gailen drove in a run for the sixth straight game...He has 13 RBI in the last 10 and has taken the league lead with 38 for the year...Tyler Bortnick had the Barnstormers' only stolen base in the game, the club's 98th of the year...Hall threw his first quality start, and the team's 14th...Lancaster set a season high with eight walks and tied a season high with 12 runners left on base.
Atlantic League Stories from June 15, 2018
- Revs Silenced in Southern Maryland - York Revolution
- Lancaster Takes Series Opener from Long Island - Long Island Ducks
- Barnstormers Survive Scare, Beat Ducks - Lancaster Stormers
- Patriots Blank Bees 7-0 - Somerset Patriots
- Blue Crabs Blank Revs in Series Opener - Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
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