AtL Lancaster Stormers

Second Half Opens With A Bang, Or Six

Published on July 8, 2023 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


The Lancaster Barnstormers had hit only six home runs in the last 13 games.

With the second half opener on Saturday evening, the Barnstormers match that total, and the club single game record, in a 17-4 drubbing of the Spire City Ghost Hounds at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The long balls were hit by six different Barnstormers in five different innings. Melvin Mercedes hit the first, a three-run homer to right in the second that gave Lancaster a 5-3 lead it never lost. Ariel Sandoval hit a solo shot to right center later in the inning. Jack Conley connected in the fourth: Yeison Coca hit a two-run jack in the fifth, followed by leadoff home runs from Shawon Dunston, Jr. and Trayvon Robinson the next two innings.

Overall, the Barnstormers piled up a season-high 22 hits and 44 total bases, just three shy of the franchise record. They scored in each of the first seven innings of the contest.

Coca, Mercedes and Andretty Cordero each had four hits on the night. Everyone in the starting lineup reached base at least twice and had at least one hit.

Oddly, it was the Ghost Hounds' Jimmy Paredes who delivered the first blow. The Spire City third baseman connected for a three-run homer off Nile Ball (3-4) in the top of the first after barely fouling off a pair of two-strike pitches.

Wilson Garcia singled off the glove of second baseman Starlin Castro to get a run back in the bottom of the first. Conley doubled home Coca in the second to cut the lead to 3-2 before Mercedes began the long ball attack with his towering fly to right off Elih Villanueva (1-7).

The Barnstormers and Ghost Hounds are scheduled to play the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday at 1:00. Fans may tune in on Blue Ridge 11 or FloBaseball at the top of the hour.

NOTES: The only three four-hit games recorded by the Barnstormers previously were by the same three - Coca, Cordero and Mercedes...Coca extended his hitting streak to nine...He is 16-for-34 (.471)...Dunston's homer was his first hit in 18 at bats since coming off the injured list...He followed it with an RBI single in the seventh...Cordero had six four-hit games in 2022, all in the second half...Ball won for the first time since June 6.

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Atlantic League Stories from July 8, 2023


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