First Inning Blasts Propel Barnstormers
Published on August 3, 2012 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
Lancaster crushed three home runs in the bottom of the first inning and went on to down the Somerset Patriots, 12-7, in front of 6,430 Friday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
With the win, the Barnstormers remained one-half game ahead of Sugar Land in the second half Freedom Division race.
Blake Gailen yanked a pitch from Sean Green (3-3) over the tents in right field for his 16th homer of the season with two outs in the first inning to tie the game at 1-1. Tommy Everidge reached on an infield single behind second before Ryan Harvey blasted his 11th of the season well back onto the hill. Emerson Frostad cranked a double into the right field corner, setting up Kody Kirkland who homered for the third straight night to give the Barnstormers a 5-1 lead.
The onslaught continued into the second inning as the first four batters of the inning contributed singles before Green to begin to turn things around on a Harvey double play grounder.
At that point, the Barnstormers led, 7-1, against a team that spent eight hours on planes and buses to get to Lancaster. Simple? Not exactly.
Somerset put pressure on the Barnstormers with a single tally in the third, and Yunesky Sanchez homered onto the left field hillside with a pair of mates on board in the fifth to slice Lancaster's lead to 7-5.
However, the Barnstormers offense sprang back into action. Kirkland singled, stole second and scored on a base hit to right by Adam Godwin in the fifth, and Harvey doubled home Gailen, who had walked, in the sixth.
Meanwhile, Mark Brackman had replaced J.D. Durbin (7-8) to start the sixth and froze the Patriots offense over the next two innings. Corey Smith reached Brackman for a solo homer in the eighth to cut the lead to 9-6. The 'Stormers batted around in the eighth, scoring three runs, two on a bases loaded single by Bridger Hunt, and again, the lead looked comfortable.
Brackman picked up the first two outs in the ninth quickly, but the next four Patriots reached base, moving the tying run into the on deck circle. The right-hander finally locked up the game, striking out Smith with the bases loaded to get his first save of the year.
The two clubs meet up again on Saturday evening with fireworks to follow. Lancaster will send Dwayne Pollok (8-1) to the mound to square off against Somerset lefty Roy Merritt (5-5). Fireworks will follow the 7:00 game. Fans may tune into 1390-AM, WLAN; 1600-AM, WPDC; 1390wlan.com or the I Heart Radio cell phone app, beginning at 6:45.
Atlantic League Stories from August 3, 2012
- First Inning Blasts Propel Barnstormers - Lancaster Stormers
- Ducks Drop Series Opener against Bluefish - Long Island Ducks
- Barnstormers Power Past Patriots 12-7 - Somerset Patriots
- Splendid Stuff from Skeeters in Win, 5-2 - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Slam Leads Bluefish to Ferry Cup - Bridgeport Bluefish
- Lancaster Defeats Somerset 12-7 in Series Opener - Somerset Patriots
- Feierabend Steams Crabs In Weekend Opener - York Revolution
- Somerset Patriots Sign Piscataway's Corey Smith - Somerset Patriots
- Barnstormers Strike It Rich In Seventh, Down Camden - Lancaster Stormers
- Blue Crabs Outlast Ducks in 13 Innings - Long Island Ducks
- Skeeters Drop Finale, 10-6 - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Patriots Win 10-6 over Skeeters - Somerset Patriots
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