Hankerd Leads Crab Attack
Published on August 15, 2014 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
Cyle Hankerd found the left field hillside and the right field picnic tent on Friday night, leading the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to a 7-2 victory over the host Lancaster Barnstormers in front of 7,815 at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
The Southern Maryland left fielder hit his third and fourth homers of the year while going 3-for-4 and scoring three runs overall. Angel Chavez and Jake Opitz also contributed three hits apiece in the 15-hit spree for Southern Maryland in the opener of a three-game series.
Hankerd led off the fifth with his blast to left off Cory Wade (2-6) to open a 3-1 lead. By the time he lobbed his second homer of the night onto the picnic deck with two outs in the eighth, the game was well in hand.
Lancaster opened the scoring on Cole Garner's league leading 21st home run of the season with two outs in the first inning.
Southern Maryland reached Cory Wade (2-6) for the tying run in the second on a double by Luke Murton, a wild pitch and a ground out to short by James Skelton. Three singles put the Blue Crabs on top to stay as C.J. Ziegler plated Hankerd with a roller up the middle.
The Barnstormers wasted two huge chances to roar back into the lead. In the third inning, starter Jake Brown walked both Yusuke Kajimoto and Lance Zawadzki to start the inning and proceeded to hit Garner in the shoulder to load the bags. The lefty bounced back to fan both Brett Carroll and Andrew Clark on 3-2 pitches and retired Gabe Jacobo on a foul fly to left to end the threat.
Brian Grening (2-4, 3-7) walked Ben Francisco to start the fourth, and Opitz misplayed a grounder by Juan Apodaca to give Lancaster two runners with nobody out. Grant Zawadzki bunted the runners ahead, but Kajimoto flied to shallow left with Hankerd gunning down Francisco at the plate for a double play.
Hankerd's first homer triggered a three-run fifth inning that chased Wade and ushered Shunsuke Watanabe into the game.
Lancaster would not get another hit until the ninth when Francisco clubbed a one-out homer to right.
The series continues on Saturday with fireworks following the 7:00 game. Lancaster sends Joe Gardner (3-2) to the hill against fellow right-hander Mickey Jannis (2-0). 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 15, 2014
- Skeeters Drop Game 1 against Riversharks - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Hankerd Leads Crab Attack - Lancaster Stormers
- Lansford Leads the Way in Series-Opening Win - Long Island Ducks
- Blue Crabs Take Opener over Barnstormers - Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
- Ducks Double up Patriots 4-2 - Somerset Patriots
- Bluefish Drop Series Opener to York - Bridgeport Bluefish
- Ducks Double up Patriots 4-2 - Somerset Patriots
- Revs Seeing Greene In Series-Opening Victory - York Revolution
- Patterson Makes Return to Lancaster - Lancaster Stormers
- Helicopter Candy Drop, Whoopie Pie Eating Contest and More - Lancaster Stormers
- Bluefish to Sign "Littlest Person" in League History - Bridgeport Bluefish
- Sugar Land Drops Series against Long Island with 5-1 Loss - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Revs Drop Sloppy Decision On Rain Soaked Night In Camden - York Revolution
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