AtL Lancaster Stormers

No Miracle in Ninth, Barnstormers Fall

Published on August 2, 2010 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


The scenario was the same. Ricardo Gomez took the mound with a 4-3 lead on Sunday evening as he had the previous night. Joe Gaetti even had the chance to be the hero again.

This time, the Barnstormers found themselves out of comebacks as the Ducks and Gomez held on for a 4-3 victory in a rain-delayed game in front of 4,467 at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The loss cut Lancaster's lead over York in the Freedom Division to just one-half game in advance of a nine-game Barnstormers road trip.

Gomez retired the first two batters of the ninth inning easily before walking Octavio Martinez on a full count pitch to bring Gaetti to the plate as the winning run, slightly more than 24 hours after Gaetti had singled home the winning run off Gomez on Saturday. As had happened the night before, the Lancaster center fielder fought back to a 3-2 count. This time, though, Gomez won the battle, retiring Gaetti on a soft liner directly at right fielder Billy Kovatch to end the game. Gomez earned his fifth save.

Ben Fritz made the start for Lancaster and was brilliant for five innings, allowing only two singles while walking none and striking out eight. Kyle Jackson matched him for the first four, and the game was scoreless as a heavy and somewhat surprising shower struck the ballpark in the top of the fifth. The umpires called for the tarp before the bottom of the fifth could get started. All while the sun still shone beyond the outfield wall.

Jackson (1-1, 3-8) remained in the game as play resumed after the 59-minute delay and fell victim to a white sky above the stands. Gaetti's fly ball to left was lost by Matt Esquivel and fell a good 20 feet in front of him. Bryant Nelson followed with a double nailed into the right field corner for a 1-0 lead. Vic Gutierrez bunted Nelson to third. The sky came into play again as Jason Perry's fly ball to center vanished from Bridger Hunt's view and fell for an RBI triple. Perry then rode home on a sacrifice fly by Aaron Herr as Lancaster grabbed a 3-0 edge.

Fritz, who had thrown 87 pitches, did not return after the rain delay, and as his walk-under-the-ladder, black-cat-crossing, broken-mirror luck would have it, his lead evaporated quickly after his departure.

John Koronka took over to start the sixth and walked Juan Francia on five pitches. The lefty dispatched Kovatch on a three-pitch strikeout but walked Ray Navarrete on four pitches, bringing the tying run to the plate. Colina was retired on a fly ball to left, bringing on left-handed batting Matt Padgett. Koronka threw four straight pitches to load the bases, and, after back-to-back balls to Esquivel, one a wild pitch, Pat Overholt was summoned from the bullpen. Overholt (3-2) took Esquivel to a 3-2 count, but the Long Island left fielder launched a two-run double to right center. Brendan Monaghan followed with an RBI single for the 4-3 lead.

It turned out to be enough.

Lancaster will head to Somerset on Tuesday evening to open a three-game series against the Patriots. The Barnstormers will send Jason Simontacchi (4-5) to the mound against lefty Bill Pulsipher (1-0). Game time will be 7:05.

NOTES: Fritz' ERA dropped to 3.67...He regained sole possession of the league strikeout lead with 107...He is the first Barnstormer to fan 100 in a season...His record remained at 2-6...Fritz is 0-2 against Long Island despite a 1.80 ERA...Herr lost a seven-game hitting streak...Martinez failed to hit for the first time in his last 15 full games...Lancaster is now 9-3 in one-run games in the second half...Nelson had his third straight multi-hit game...Tim Hamulack ran his scoreless innings streak to 18...He has 32 strikeouts in that span...Sean Thompson pitched two scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts...The lefty has not allowed a run in 10 1/3 innings of relief.

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Atlantic League Stories from August 2, 2010


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