Wild Win Caps Barnstormers Season
Published on September 19, 2010 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
It would have been so easy to pack it in on Sunday afternoon.
The Lancaster Barnstormers were in the final day of a season with no playoffs in store and faced an 8-0 deficit after 1 1/2 innings. Time to check the tire pressure, right?
Wrong.
The Barnstormers pulled off an historic comeback, not just once but twice on Sunday, producing a 13-12 victory on L.J. Biernbaum's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning. It tied the biggest come-from-behind effort in franchise history.
That second comeback, although smaller, will go down among the memorable moments in franchise history.
Long Island wiped out an 11-10 lead in the top of the ninth off closer Tim Hamulack. Bridger Hunt and Joey Gathright each punched singles into center and moved up when Billy Kovatch was retired on a high bounder to first base. Matt Cavagnaro hit a slow tapper toward first. Ryan Mulhern attempted to get the out on Hunt at the plate, but his rushed throw sailed wide of Josh Johnson to the backstop. Gathright scored on the play as well, putting the Ducks in charge by one. Hamulack (6-5) walked Willis Otanez intentionally before retiring late insertions Jamie Quinn and Erick Monzon to end the inning.
Adam Witter fell behind Bill Simas (2-1) in the count to start the bottom of the ninth but bounced back and slammed a game-tying homer above Home Run Harbor in what was likely to have been the final at bat of his career. Joe Gaetti picked up a walk and moved ahead on Josh Johnson's sacrifice bunt. Lloyd Turner got Gaetti another base with a deep fly to right for the second out. Biernbaum, also with the final swing of his pro career, ripped a liner into right center just beyond the reach of a diving Gathright to send the crowd of 5,402 into a frenzy and give the Barnstormers the chance to celebrate at the end of a grueling season.
The Ducks seemed to stay at the plate forever in their first two at bats. Lancaster starter Rick Bauer walked four batters in the first inning and yielded RBI singles to Willis Otanez and Javier Colina as the Ducks moved out to a 3-0 lead. The second got even worse. Bauer was lifted after two more walks and a single loaded the bases with just one out. Sean Thompson took over, and the first five batters he faced all reached, each bringing in a run as the Ducks looked comfortable at 8-0. Thompson settled down, and the Barnstormers began to chip away.
Kyle Jackson filled the bases in the bottom of the second and forced one run home on a walk to Witter. Johnson got the second home with a sacrifice fly. Doubles by Biernbaum and Aaron Herr inched the Barnstormers another run closer in the third, but the big bats started booming later.
Ryan Mulhern swatted a three-run homer to left off Jackson with two outs in the fifth to cut the lead to 10-6, and the Barnstormers struck for five more in the sixth. Johnson led off with a single to center, and Turner walked. Biernbaum rolled a grounder to third which Colina turned into a force at the bag. Vic Gutierrez singled off of Hunt's glove at shortstop to drive in one. Brett Flowers grounded to short moving up two runners, and Michael Woods knocked both home with a double that sailed past Gathright in right center. Mulhern followed with his second homer of the day, a blast to right center to vault Lancaster into its first lead.
NOTES: Herr tied the club record with his 35th double...He finished the season with a league-leading 103 RBI...The third baseman shared the league home run crown with teammate Reggie Taylor...Both finished with 23...Four others in the league ended with 22...Mulhern's five-RBI game was his second of the season...Prior to the game, Herr received the team MVP award based on fan voting...Catcher Jed Morris was named the Community Player of the Year. bwil
Atlantic League Stories from September 19, 2010
- Bears Fall in Season Finale - Newark Bears
- Sharks Send off 2010 with Win - Camden Riversharks
- Wild Win Caps Barnstormers Season - Lancaster Stormers
- Patriots Win in Ten in Last Regular Season Home Game - Somerset Patriots
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