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AtL Lancaster Stormers

Burkhart slam paces Barnstormers 7-4

September 21, 2006 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


Hits have not come regularly for catcher Lance Burkhart in 2006, but when they have come, they have generally meant something.

Burkhart belted his second grand slam of the year, a drive to left field in the second inning, leading the Barnstormers to a 7-4 victory over the Bridgeport Bluefish Thursday night at Harbor Yard.

With the victory, the Barnstormers opened a 1 ½ game lead over Atlantic City in the second half race. The Surf lost to Long Island, 3-2.

Burkhart's slam came on an 0-1 pitch from Kevin Hodges (12-7) following walks to Eric Crozier and Chris Van Rossum and Keith Maxwell being hit by a pitch. It was not the end of the production for the Barnstormers in the second, either. Travis Hake drew Hodges' third walk of the inning. One out later, Jason Bowers flared a double along the right field line. Hodges got through Jeremy Todd, who popped to third, but Jose Ortiz delivered two additional runs with a bloop single to center as Lancaster grabbed a 6-0 lead.

Bridgeport fought back against Josh Stevens (2-0). Willis Otanez homered to lead off the second inning. In the third, Norm Hutchins greeted Stevens with a leadoff single. Bryant Nelson cracked a liner into the right field corner, scoring Hutchins, but the Bridgeport third baseman went down with an injury cutting around the first base bag and had to leave the game. Deivi Cruz moved pinch runner Angel Espada to second with a single up the middle. A 4-6-3 double play off the bat of P.J. Rose temporarily derailed Bridgeport, but Otanez followed with a double to right center, slicing the lead to 6-3.

The Bluefish struck again in the bottom of the fifth. With runners at first and second and one out, Rose hit a sharp grounder to Todd at first. Todd's throw to Bowers covering the bag at second was high. Bowers was pulled off the bag but scrambled back to get the force on Cruz. However, his throw to complete the double play skipped into the Bridgeport dugout, allowing Espada to score. Stevens walked Otanez but got Tony Mota to bounce harmlessly to first to end the inning.

Lancaster, getting an uplift from escaping the fifth with a lead, tacked on its final run in the sixth. Reggie Taylor doubled inside the first base bag with one out and moved to third on an infield single by Bowers. Todd brought in the run with a single into center but was gunned down trying to take second after an initial throw to third.

The Bluefish had a final chance in the seventh. Cruz chased Stevens, who allowed eight hits and two walks, with a two-out double to left center. Ross Peeples issued a wild pitch while pitching to Rose, then walked him, bringing the dangerous Otanez to the plate as the tying run. Tom Herr went back to the pen, selecting Todd Pennington. The right-hander retired Otanez on a grounder to second.

Pennington fired a scoreless eighth, and Charlie Weatherby earned his 14th save on two strikeouts and a fly ball in the ninth.

NOTES: Lancaster finished the season with a 28-26 road record...The Barnstormers and Bridgeport split their 18-game season series down the middle...Lancaster will finish 4-2-1 in season series...Burkhart's grand slam extended the Barnstormers homer to streak to 18 games, a club record...Jeremy Todd tied the season high hitting streak at 14 with a double in the first inning...Todd and Burkhart are now tied for the Barnstormers all-time lead in both homers and RBI with 34 and 130 respectively...Ortiz now has 49 RBI in the second half...The Barnstormers will send John Boker (2-0) and Brian Whitaker (11-7) to the mound on Friday night against LHP Chris Steinborn and a yet-to-be-named spot starter...The doubleheader (two 7-inning games) begins at 6:05.

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