ANOTHER ONE GETS AWAY

Barnstormers Fall in York, 3-2

Close games continue to fall the other way for the 2016 Lancaster Barnstormers.

K.C. Hobson launched a two-run homer with one out in the top of the first on Thursday night. However, the ‘Stormers offense did nothing else., and York rallied for a 3-2 victory in the opener of a four-game weekend series at People’s Bank Park on Bryan Pounds’ walkoff double into the right field corner.

York’s victory cut the Lancaster lead in the PNC Bank War of the Roses to 6-5.

Hobson took Ty’Relle Harris over the right field wall for his eighth homer of the season following a leadoff double by Caleb Gindl and an infield out.

From there, the Barnstormers were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

In the second, Sean Halton was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and promptly scored second. Lancaster failed to score him.

In the seventh, Charlie Cutler got the Barnstormers underway with a double to left. Gindl, swinging on a 3-0 pitch from Luis Perdomo, lofted a fly ball to Jared Mitchell in right. Cutler bluffed off second, but Mitchell threw behind him and Cutler was doubled up in a rundown for the second out of the inning.

Hobson led off the eighth with a ground single through the right side, and Josh Bell walked. That inning also fizzled as Mike Jacobs fouled out on the first pitch, and Halton struck out. Blake Gailen grounded a single through the left side, but Ryde Rodriguez got to the ball about the time Hobson hit third, and there was no chance to score the run. Former Lancaster lefty Nate Reed struck out Kevin Ahrens to end the inning.

The offensive misfires allowed the Revs to stick around.

Bryan Evans retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced on the night, but Rodriguez lined a leadoff single in the sixth. Evans walked Brandon Chaves, putting the tying run on base. The right-hander made the pitches to escape the inning. Unfortunately, his own defense failed him. Mitchell bounced right back to the mound. Evans fumbled and could not find a place to throw. He also got Michael Rockett to bounce right back to the hill. Trying to hurry a 1-2-3 double play, Evans bounced his throw past Cutler to the screen, allowing two runs to score.

Still set up with runners at the corners and nobody out, York failed to push ahead in that sixth inning. Joel Guzman fouled out to first, Andres Perez struck out, and following an intentional walk to Kevin Rivers, Pounds popped out to second.

Evan Meek and Pete Andrelczyk pitched perfect innings, but Cory Burns (0-3) allowed a leadoff single to Perez in the ninth. Rivers bunted him to second, and Pounds blasted the first pitch he saw deep into the right field corner for the game winner.

The series continues on Saturday night with Terry Doyle (4-5) matched up against Micah Owings (3-4). Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:15.

NOTES: Gindl has reached base leading off four consecutive games and has a nine-game hitting streak overall…Hobson has six homers in his last 20 games…The Barnstormers homered for the ninth straight game…The first inning runs were the first by the Barnstormers in 19 games…Lancaster is 9-23 in one-run games.