AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers win rubber match with Ducks

August 17, 2006 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


Jose Ortiz launched a grand slam, and Denny Harriger worked seven solid innings to notch his 13th win of the season as Lancaster took the rubber game against the Long Island Ducks, 13-2, Thursday evening at Citibank Park.

With the win, the Barnstormers finished the season series against the first half Northern champion Ducks with a 13-5 record, winning every series. Lancaster remained in first place in the South by four games over Camden, which beat the Road Warriors, 6-1.

Lancaster grabbed the lead off Cory Bailey (0-1) in the second. Chris Van Rossum, who had thrown out Carlos Hernandez at the plate to end the first, started the uprising with a ground single up the middle. Eric Crozier walked, and Lance Burkhart knocked in the game?s first run with a double that touched down just inside the left field line. Manny Santana followed with a double to right for a 3-0 lead before the first out in the inning.

Bailey escaped further trouble in the second, but Lancaster struck for another run in the third. Jeremy Todd opened the inning with a double into the right field corner. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored as Ortiz grounded to short.

Lancaster ripped the game open in the fourth. The Barnstormers loaded the bases on a one-out walk to Kris Dufner, an error on Reggie Taylor?s ground ball and a two-out walk to Todd. Ortiz, who had been hitless in his previous 10 at bats, rode a Bailey pitch well over the wall in left center to advance the lead to 8-0. Van Rossum blooped a double down the left field line, and Crozier delivered the ninth run with a blooper to left.

Keith Maxwell, Taylor and Todd singled home runs in the four-run sixth before knuckleballing first baseman Rob Cafiero shut down the offense for the rest of the night.

Harriger (13-3) faced only two batters over the minimum for the first four innings but got into big trouble in the fifth. He hit Ray Navarrete with a pitch, and Bryan Goelz doubled to right. Brad King singled home a run to get the Ducks on the scoreboard. Harriger struck out Elvis Pena looking and got Barnstormer nemesis Mel Stocker to pop up to short, but Carlos Hernandez produced a second run with a lined single to center. Erick Almonte singled to left with the Ducks holding King at third, not wishing to test Van Rossum?s arm a second time.

That set up a match between Harriger and league RBI leader Bucky Jacobsen. Jacobsen nailed a liner out of the park foul before eventually going down on strikes to end the inning.

The Lancaster right-hander allowed the first two batters to reach base in the sixth inning before settling back down and retiring six in a row. He turned the game over to Chris Clem and Charlie Weatherby, who combined to retire six of seven batters.

NOTES: Taylor extended his hitting streak to 12 games?Danny Gonzalez had one hit to stretch his streak to nine?Ortiz became the first Barnstormer to drive in five runs since Taylor on June 4?His grand slam was Lancaster?s fifth of the season and third in the last 12 days?He batted with 12 runners on base in the game?The Barnstormers tied their club record by leaving 15 runners on base?Lancaster scored 130 runs and amassed 218 hits (28 homers) in the season series?Manny Santana came out of the game in the fourth inning?He fouled a ball off his foot and hobbled off the field after striking out?Taylor came out of the game in the eighth, and Eric Ackerman took a spot in the outfield?Ackerman grounded to short as Lancaster?s final batter of the night?Todd is 14-for-23 with 11 RBI in the last six games?Brian Whitaker (8-5) will start on Friday night against Mike Cosgrove (0-1) as the Barnstormers open a three-game series against Newark at Clipper Magazine Stadium?Fireworks will follow the 7:05 game.

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Atlantic League Stories from August 17, 2006


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