Fourth straight loss
Published on June 24, 2006 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
The Southern Division race tightened even further Saturday night as Jeff Nettles keyed a three-run ninth with a double to left center, giving Somerset an 8-6 win over Lancaster in front of 5,093 at Clipper Magazine Stadium. It was the fourth straight loss for Lancaster, tying the longest skid of the season.
With the win, Somerset, which owns the tiebreaker, climbed to within 2 ? games of the Barnstormers for the division lead. Atlantic City was rained out at Long Island and remains three back.
The Barnstormers thrilled the home crowd with an exciting comeback in the bottom of the eighth. With the club trailing, 5-2, Jeremy Todd led off with a bloop single to center. Reliever Andy Pratt retired the next two batters but walked Steve Van Note and hit Manny Santana with a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Todd, and Travis Hake delivered a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 5-5.
Matt Knox (2-1), who entered with a 1.20 ERA, got Kevin Nicholson to pop up his first pitch, then allowed the next six runners to reach base as the Patriots put together the winning rally. Larry Barnes drilled a single into right, and Nettles followed with a deep liner into the left center alley, scoring Barnes for the 6-5 lead. Ryan Radmanovich was intentionally walked, and Jim Burt was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Travis Anderson?s bloop hit to center added one run, and Somerset scored another on George Sandel?s ground single to right. Eric Crozier, who replaced an injured Chris Van Rossum in the second, gunned down Burt at the plate, restoring order.
Mike Johnson (3-3) surrendered an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth on a walk, bloop single, infield out and passed ball but struck out Crozier, at the plate as the tying run, to end the game.
Lancaster had grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fourth as Jutt Hileman tripled home Todd and scored on Crozier?s ground out. However, Somerset took it right back as Barnes and Nettles stroked consecutive two-out homers to right in the top of the fifth. Pinch hitter Tony Gsell added a two-run shot to left in the eighth.
Atlantic League Stories from June 24, 2006
- Fourth straight loss - Lancaster Stormers
- Bears and Riversharks rained out - Newark Bears
- Ducks vs Surf postponed - Long Island Ducks
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