Matthews, Ward Pace Stormers
AtL Lancaster Stormers

Matthews, Ward Pace Stormers

July 5, 2025 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


Dave Matthews and Nick Ward slammed home runs on Saturday evening, and the Lancaster bullpen was able to fend off a persistent Charleston attack as the Stormers defeated the Dirty Birds, 7-5, at Penn Medicine Park.

With the win, the Stormers advanced their record to .500 at 31-31, heading into the final game of the first half.

Matthews followed a Danny Amaral RBI double with a three-run blast onto the right field deck to stake Lancaster to a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the second.

Noah Skirrow (8-3) was able to hold the lead through five innings, thanks to a pair of defensive gems by the infielders. With the bases loaded in the fourth, Ward went airborne to pluck a line drive by Travis Demeritte out of the air and double Alsander Womack off second base to end a bases loaded threat. Yeison Coca made a diving catch of a James Nelson liner to start the fifth inning, an inning in which the Dirty Birds still managed a two-out run on a single to center by Joseph Rosa.

Ward's two-run homer off Kyle McGowin (1-5) in the bottom of the fifth stretched the lead to 6-3. The scalding hot Alsander Womack homered to left off A.J. Alexy to open the sixth. Charleston loaded the bases later in the inning, but Billy Sullivan entered to strike out slugger Keon Barnum to end the inning with the 6-4 lead.

Ward delivered a two-out, two-strike single up the middle to pick up his third RBI of the night in the bottom of the sixth. Sullivan was reached for a run in the top of the seventh before the right-hander struck out Demeritte and retired James Nelson on a harmless fly to right.

Scott Engler shook off a leadoff single by Benjamin Blackwell in the eighth inning, and Jackson Rees worked around Womack's ninth straight hit, a double in the ninth. Rees earned his first save.

The Stormers will entertain the Dirty Birds again on Sunday afternoon at 2:00. Fans may tune into Blue Ridge 11 or FloBaseball to catch the action.

NOTES: Mason Martin's on base streak ended at 26 games...Josep Carpenter's RBI streak ended at eight...Ward has a seven-game streak, during which he is 15-for-32 with two homers and 10 RBI...Ariel Sandoval is 8-for-12 since coming off the injured list...Rees became the eighth different pitcher to earn a save for the Stormers this season.

Check out the Lancaster Stormers Statistics



Atlantic League Stories from July 5, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central