AtL Lancaster Stormers

Third Inning Explosion Leads 'Stormers

Published on August 9, 2011 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


Only a wicked line drive double play kept the Lancaster Barnstormers from setting a new club record on Tuesday night.

Instead, Lancaster had to settle for a record-tying 11 runs in the bottom of the third that lifted the 'Stormers to a 13-7 victory over the Somerset Patriots in the opener of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Lancaster is now 1 1/2 games ahead of York, the team's biggest lead in the second half. The Barnstormers have won six of their last eight.

Luke Sommer (1-3) was impressive for two innings in the first start of his professional career and led, 1-0, thanks to a Matt Hagen leadoff homer in the second. It was the calm before the storm.

Wayne Lydon led off the Barnstormers third with a walk. Matt Tupman bunted to the third base side of the mound. Sommer took a gamble and tried to get the force on Lydon at second. His throw bounced into center, putting runners at first and third with nobody out. Gilberto Mejia delivered the tying run with a single to center, and Adam Calderone gave Lancaster a 2-1 edge with a liner over the head of Hagen at second.

The Barnstormers were not about to stop. Tommy Everidge walked to load the bases. Matt Watson was clipped by a pitch to force home Mejia with the inning's third run. Aaron Herr lashed a double over the head of third baseman Jeff Nettles to score two more. Travis Metcalf drew a walk from reliever Nick Ungs to reload the bags, and Iggy Suarez, a former Patriot, singled to left center to plate Watson and Herr. Lydon, who was released by Somerset on July 16, juiced a long three-run homer to right to reach a 10-run inning, still without an out recorded.

Ungs got Tupman to ground out for the first out of the inning. It was only a quick break. Mejia smacked a single into right as did Calderone. Everidge followed with an RBI single for the 11th run. Watson came to the plate and drilled a liner past the first base bag. It was speared by Joe Burke who dove to the bag to double up Everidge.

The rest of the game plated out like a mere formality around a 21-minute rain delay. Elliott Ayala knocked J.D. Durbin (7-2) out with a three-run homer in the seventh. Everidge and Lydon picked up additional Lancaster RBI. Somerset scored a pair of quirky runs in the top of the ninth.

The Barnstormers host Somerset again on Wednesday evening at 7:00. John Halama (4-3) will take the hill against former Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Jim Magrane (0-1). It will be aired on Fox Sports Radio, 1490, WLPA and streamed live on sportsjuice.com and ibnsports.com.

NOTES: The Barnstormers have won six of eight...They have reached double figures five times in the last 10 games, hitting .343 as a team in that span...Everidge extended his hitting streak to 13 games (21-50, .420) while Mejia has batted safely in 11 in a row (24-49, .490)...Herr has four doubles in the last two games to tie Michael Woods for second on the Barnstormers career list...He has also driven in 17 runs in his last 15 games...Lydon's home run was his eighth of the season, one shy of his career high...Lancaster's other 11-run inning came against Bridgeport on September 14, 2008...The inning is remembered more for Matt LeCroy's steal of third base.

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Atlantic League Stories from August 9, 2011


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