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 Lancaster Stormers

Rally comes up short

September 20, 2006 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


Most Barnstormers games this season have been decided in the first five innings, and Tuesday night was no exception as the Bridgeport Bluefish raced out to a 7-2 lead and held on to defeat Lancaster, 7-5, in the opener of a three-game series at Harbor Yard.

With the loss, their second straight, the Barnstormers slipped into second place one-half game behind Atlantic City. The Surf split a doubleheader with Long Island Tuesday evening.

Cam Smith (5-6) survived a leadoff walk in the first inning but walked four in the second, walking Bryant Nelson for the second time on the night to force home the game's first run. Trouble for the right-hander grew deeper in the third inning when Deivi Cruz singled to center, and P.J. Rose walked. Willis Otanez skied his eighth homer of September over the wall in left field for a 4-0 lead, and the Barnstormers never fully recovered.

After the Barnstormers wasted five hits off Eddy Ramos (2-5) in the first four innings, Reggie Taylor connected for a two-run homer in the fifth to cut the Bluefish lead in half.

However, the Bluefish would not allow Lancaster to keep the momentum. Rose opened the bottom of the inning with a single to left off Ross Peeples, and Otanez followed with a grounder through the hole, putting runners at first and second. Peeples walked Tony Mota to load the bases with nobody out. Rose scored on a bouncer over the mound by Damian Rolls. Otanez was held on a similar bouncer to first baseman Steve Van Note, and Peeples appeared to be out of the inning with minimal damage when Hector Kuilan hit a pop fly behind first base. Van Note and Danny Gonzalez appeared to call each other off the ball, which landed just inside fair territory to drive in two runs for the 7-2 lead.

Bridgeport manager Dave LaPoint marched out a series of relievers in an attempt to hold the lead. Nick Bierbrodt found trouble in the sixth when Jose Ortiz and Eric Crozier opened the frame with singles. Ortiz eventually scored on a two-out single to center by Van Note, who was 3-for-3 in the game. Jason Bowers' liner to left was flagged by Rolls to end the inning with Bridgeport up, 7-3.

Jeremy Todd belted his 15th homer of the season off Scotty Layfield in the seventh, drawing Lancaster within three. The Barnstormers then had a chance to tie the game in the ninth. Van Note opened the inning with a double into the left field corner and scored on Gonzalez' two-out single to right. Jimmy Journell battled back to strike out Todd to end the game for his sixth save of the season.

NOTES: Todd extended his hitting streak to 12 with a single in the fourth...Peeples had allowed only three runs in his previous 20 innings before being reached for three in the fifth...Matt Knox was activated before the game and threw a scoreless sixth inning...Manny Santana was placed on the DL with a strained hamstring...He will be out through the end of the regular season...Todd made his first start behind the plate for the Barnstormers...Bridgeport tried to take advantage of him and stole three bases, but he gunned down the final two that tried...Lancaster has homered in 16 straight games and 45 of 48, cracking 82 homers...In the first two series in Bridgeport, Lancaster had hit only one long ball...Denny Harriger (16-4) will start against T.J. Mathews (12-6) on Wednesday evening...The game has been moved up to 6:05 pm.


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