AtL Lancaster Stormers

Watson Single Clips Somerset

Published on August 6, 2009 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


The Lancaster native singled home Michael Woods in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Barnstormers a 6-5 victory over the Somerset Patriots, ending a three-game skid for the home club in front of 4,023 Thursday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Woods opened the ninth with a sharp ground ball past the pitcher's mound. Second baseman Matt Hagen made a diving stop and tried to make a desperation throw to keep Woods off base. Instead his throw bounced past Josh Pressley and onto the steps next to the dugout as Woods was awarded second. Watson followed with a line drive to left center off Ryan Basner (3-2), easily scoring Woods with the game winner.

Somerset had erased a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth against Antonio Alfonseca. Jason Belcher opened the inning with a bouncing single over second base. Teuris Olivares lined a single to center. With two men aboard, Lancaster's corner infielders were playing against a bunt. Instead, Burke swung away and ripped a line drive over first baseman Nate Gold to drive home Belcher. Olivares took third on the play, and Burke darted into second.

Alfonseca (2-3) was able to bear down, retiring Elliott Ayala on a grounder to third and striking out pinch hitter Mike Rodriguez and Anthony Granato to send the game to the bottom of the ninth tied.

Pressley and Watson exchanged two-run homers to right in the first inning. The Patriots jumped ahead, 4-2, in the top of the third. Ayala led off with a double squeezed inside the third base bag and moved to third on a sacrifice by Sean Smith. Granato was hit by a pitch, putting a second runner aboard. Hagen stroked a line drive to left. Lloyd Turner fired home, but Ayala beat the throw which was slightly up the first base line. Granato took second on the play and, after an intentional walk to Pressley, scored on a single to left center by Jeff Nettles.

The Barnstormers fought back to take the lead in the bottom of the inning with five straight two-out hits. Michael Woods snuck a ground ball under Olivares' glove at third, and Watson followed with a single to center. Gold launched a fly ball toward the right field wall. Burke missed a leaping catch, and the ball bounced away for a two-run triple. Gold scored on a single to center by L.J. Biernbaum.

Trey Hodges kept the Patriots off the board for the next four innings, and Eddie Camacho fired a perfect eighth to get the game to Alfonseca.

The Barnstormers head out on the road for six games up north. Lancaster will visit Bridgeport over the weekend with a 7:05 start on Friday to open the series. Eric Ackerman (3-9) will take the mound for Lancaster against Gary Knotts (4-5) on Friday evening.

Lancaster returns home on Friday, August 14 to take on the Camden Riversharks. Fireworks will follow each of the first two games of that series. Tickets are available at www.lancasterbarnstormers.com or by calling 717-509-HITS.

NOTES: Turner extended a hitting streak to nine games with a single in the first...Watson has six RBI in the last two games.

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Atlantic League Stories from August 6, 2009


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