AtL Lancaster Stormers

Homer-happy Barnstormers win third straight

August 9, 2006 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


The Lancaster Barnstormers continued their torrid home run pace on Wednesday night, hitting three more, en route to a 6-5 victory over the Long Island Ducks in front of 6,192 at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

With the win, Lancaster's third straight, the Barnstormers opened a four-game lead over Somerset and Camden in the Southern Division. Long Island dropped a game behind Bridgeport in the North.

Danny Gonzalez belted a two-run homer in the third inning off Pat Ahearne (9-3) for a 2-0 Lancaster lead. The drive which just cleared in right center, extended the Barnstormers run of games with a homer to 14. Kris Dufner and Reggie Taylor cracked back-to-back homers in the seventh as the Barnstormers have hit 27 homers in the streak, including 16 in the last seven games.

The Ducks were able to erase that lead in the fifth. Kevin Haverbusch extended his hitting streak to 10 with a single into left, and Bryan Goelz followed with a ground rule double to right, putting runners at second and third. Rob Cafiero hit a high chopper toward the middle that Gonzalez appeared to stop and then drop as he went to make a quick throw. The tying runs scored on the play as Cafiero was credited with a base hit and one RBI.

Lancaster took the lead for good on an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. Ahearne walked Chris Van Rossum with one out. Jutt Hileman followed with a bounder toward third. Greg Connors, filling in at third base because of a rash of injuries to the Ducks, threw wildly to first base, enabling Van Rossum to wheel around to third. He scored on a two-out wild pitch.

Following the Dufner and Taylor homers to right in the seventh, Lancaster tacked on a much needed insurance run. Gonzalez walked and, with one out, stole second. He was brought home on an RBI single by Jose Ortiz the third base hit of the night for the Barnstormers third baseman, as the home squad extended the lead to 6-2.

Rob Henkel (7-4) seemed to run out of gas in the eighth. Brad King led off with a double to left and scored on a one-out double to right center by Mel Stocker. Lancaster went to another lefty, Ross Peeples, who retired Carlos Hernandez on a sharp liner to second and Erick Almonte on a fly ball to center.

Peeples fell on hard times in the ninth. Following a line out to center by Bucky Jacobsen, Haverbusch doubled to left center. Bryan Goelz hit a dribbler to the right side which was charged by Dufner, who rushed and threw wildly, allowing Haverbusch to score and Goelz to take second. Rob Cafiero singled home Goelz to cut the lead to 6-5.

With Charlie Weatherby throwing in the bullpen, manager Tom Herr went to make the change as right-hander hitting catcher Brad King was due at the plate. However, Rick Wise had already been out to the mound, and the Barnstormers had to stick with Peeples. He responded well, getting King to ground into a routine 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

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Atlantic League Stories from August 9, 2006


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