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AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers wrap up second half title, 12-2

September 24, 2006 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


While it has no bearing on the playoffs, the Lancaster Barnstormers head into the post season as the winners of both halves, clinching the second portion of the schedule with a 12-2 victory over the Road Warriors in front of 6,844 Sunday afternoon at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Every batter contributed at least one of Lancaster's 14 hits, and Eric Ackerman fired six strong innings as the Barnstormers won for the 75th time overall in 2006, tying Bridgeport for the most in the league.

Ackerman (6-5) was nicked in the first, allowing a leadoff single to Sheldon Fulse, who then stole second and third to reach 50 on the season. Mike Huggins brought him across with a double into the left field corner for a 1-0 Road Warriors lead. The Barnstormers left-hander, who attends classes at the University of Pittsburgh during the week, bounced back and allowed only one more hit the rest of the afternoon. He walked one and struck out two, both in the first inning.

Lancaster made life easier for Ackerman with a four-run first inning. Travis Hake banged a 3-2 pitch from Matt Scheuing (6-11) into center field for a leadoff single. Jason Bowers followed with a single off the glove of third baseman David Housel. Jeremy Todd extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a sharp single into left, scoring Hake. Bowers and Todd each took an extra base on the throw home.

Keith Maxwell knocked in the second run of the inning on a grounder to short. After Derek Barrows made a diving stop of Danny Gonzalez's grounder for the second out, Jutt Hileman singled to center for a 3-1 lead. He, in turn, raced around on Steve Van Note's long double into the left field corner for the fourth run.

Maxwell stretched the lead to 5-1, doubling home Bowers in the second. Lancaster essentially put the game away in the fourth. Chris Van Rossum unloaded his 12th homer of the season, a blast down the right field line, leading off the inning. Bowers and Todd both walked with one out. Maxwell picked up his third RBI of the afternoon with a double over the head of Fulse in center, and Gonzalez followed with an RBI single.

Bowers homered in the sixth, crossing the plate for the fourth time in the game. Lancaster added three more in the eighth on RBI singles by Gonzalez and Hileman and a bases loaded walk to Van Note. Mike Huggins launched his 20th homer of the season in the top of the ninth for the Road Warriors.

NOTES: Todd's hitting streak fell one short of the club record...He ended the season, batting .322 which would have temporarily put him in the lead for the batting title, but he ended the season 20 plate appearances shy of the number needed to qualify...Gonzalez ended the year, batting .319 and was 36 plate appearances short...Hake ended the regular season on an eight-game hitting streak...Van Rossum's homer was his first in September...He has homered in the season finale two years in a row...Jeremy Todd, Lance Burkhart, and Jutt Hileman have all driven in 132 runs over the last two years, tied for the top spot in Barnstormers history...Lancaster ended the regular season with a league-leading 147 homers...The Barnstormers scored 694 runs, an average of better than 5.5 per game...Lancaster won 15 of its final 21 games...The club will leave for Atlantic City late Monday afternoon and will prepare to take on the Surf in Game One of the best-of-three division series...Denny Harriger (17-4) will start for Lancaster against Lincoln Mikkelsen (15-5).

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