Shocking Win Clinches Second Half Title
AtL Lancaster Stormers

Shocking Win Clinches Second Half Title

Published on September 14, 2025 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


The Lancaster Stormers were six outs from a three-game series against the Long Island Ducks to decide a playoff berth on Sunday afternoon.

Then the Stormers pulled off a stunning comeback from a 6-0 deficit.

Nick Ward slugged a game-tying three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to get the game to extra innings. Quincy Hamilton hit a dramatic walkoff shot with one strike left in the home tenth, sending the Stormers to the playoffs with an 8-7 win over the Lexington Legends at Penn Medicine Park.

The Stormers will meet the York Revolution in the North Division Series for the second straight season. Games One and Two will be held next weekend in York. Lancaster will host the remainder of the series at Penn Medicine Park, beginning on Tuesday, the 23rd. The winner of that series will play the winner of the South series between High Point and Gastonia, starting on September 27 at the North winner.

After Nic Laio shut the door on the Stormers for seven innings on just five hits, the Lexington lead started to crack in the eighth against lefty Kaleb Sophy. Yeison Coca reached on an infield single. Xane Washington made a sliding catch in center to keep Melvin Mercedes off base, but Ward beat out a ground ball deep into the hole on the right side to add a second runner. Luis Castro singled up the middle to knock in Lancaster's first run. Ward later scored on a wild pitch as the lead was trimmed to 6-2.

Hamilton flied to right on the first pitch from Jonathan Haab in the ninth, but pinch hitter Kevin Watson, Jr., Alex Isola and Coca strung together three straight singles to bring the tying run to the plate. Haab fanned Mercedes on a 3-2 pitch, but Ward found the outer environs with a 400-plus foot home run to tie the score.

A two-out throwing error by Coca allowed Lexington to score a go-ahead run in the top of the tenth before Phil Diehl (3-4) struck out Isaias Quiroz to end the inning.

Two Lancaster hitters were only able to move Castro, the ITB runner, to third. Hamilton went to 2-2 before forcing a full count against Jimmy Loper (5-2). He then hit a laser onto the right field deck for the winning blow, sending the team and its fans into a frenzy.

Brian Fuentes was largely responsible for the Lexington lead. The third baseman doubled home a pair of runs in the top of the sixth for a 3-0 edge. Three more scored on his homer in the eighth.

The lead would have been bigger were it not for some stellar defensive plays by the Stormers. Nick Lucky made a sliding catch in center against E.J. Cumbo in the third and turned it into a double play. Daniel Amaral climbed the wall in the left field corner to rob Washington of a homer in the seventh. Nick Ward made two diving catches on bunts in foul territory, and Mason Martin made a sliding grab of a foul pop up in the eighth.

Lancaster will host the Long Island Ducks in the final three-game series of the season starting on Tuesday. Noah Bremer (10-4) will take the hill for Lancaster against right-hander David Griffin. Fans may tune into FloBaseball, starting at 6:40.

NOTES: Ward joined the 20 HR - 20 SB club with his dramatic homer...It came in his final at bat of the season as he heads to represent Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic qualifier in Rotterdam, the Netherlands...He will miss the first round of the playoffs but can return for the Championship Series should the Stormers advance...Both of Hamilton's homers since joining Lancaster have won games, 8-7...The walkoff homer was the first for the Stormers since Jake Hoover in Game Two of the 2022 Division Series against Southern Maryland and the first in the regular season since Blake Allemand in August, 2021...Lancaster is 160-89 in the second half over the last four years.

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Atlantic League Stories from September 14, 2025


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