Victory Streak Against Staten Island Continues
Luke Albright fired one-hit shutout baseball for five innings early Wednesday as the Lancaster Stormers rolled to their 13th consecutive win over the Staten Island FerryHawks in the last two seasons, 9-2.
Albright (1-1) retired the first 10 batters he faced before Tayler Aguilar slapped a single up the middle to break the spell. The FerryHawks’ only other baserunner against the starter came in the fifth when Tishawn Featherstone drew a two-out walk.
The right-hander struck out seven in the win.
Lancaster’s offense benefitted from the weather conditions on a breezy day with sun intermittently splashing on the field.
Nick Lucky’s fly ball went unseen by the left side of the infield, dropping in for a shallow double with one out in the third. David Smith’s line drive single into left center produced the first run. A perfectly executed hit-and-run by Scott Kelly chased Smith to third, and Evan Ulrich plated the second run with a sacrifice fly to right.
Jeremy Arocho reached the picnic deck in right field for a three-run homer off Evan Ezersky (1-1) in the fourth inning, and Marc Flores doubled home another later in the frame for a 6-0 edge.
Jalen Battles singled home a run in the sixth, and Jake Thompson added another with a sac fly.
Lucky’s second extra base hit of the afternoon came when the stiffening wind stripped a fly ball out of the reach of Agular in left and bounced away for a triple. He would score on the back end of a double steal pulled off with Smith.
Staten Island picked up a pair of runs off right-hander Ronnie Voacolo in the sixth. Carlos Amezquita and Jamal Briggs opened the inning with ground singles and pulled off a double steal. Aguilar’s sac fly drove home Amezquita. Gary Mattis followed with a lined single into left, and Briggs scored when Arocho bobbled the play.
The Stormers will send lefty Quinton Martinez (0-1) to the mound on Friday night. His mound opponent will be right-hander John Kelly (0-0). Fans may tune into the game on HomeTeam Network/Dugout TV, starting at 6:35.
NOTES: The Stormers stole a season-high five bases in the game, four in the sixth inning…Kelly was hit by a pitch for the 95th time in his Atlantic League career…Three of Arocho’s four ALPB homers have been hit at Penn Medicine Park…Billy Sullivan struck out the side in the ninth, the third such inning by the Lancaster staff in the series…Lancaster pitchers have struck out 34 in the three games.