BARNSTORMERS BLITZ DIRTY BIRDS

Club Avoids Sweep with 11-0 Rout

The Lancaster Barnstormers were able to flush out the system on Sunday afternoon.

Following a six-game losing streak with five narrow defeats, the Barnstormers routed the Charleston Dirty Birds, 11-0, in the series finale at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Andretty Cordero paced the offense with a homer and five RBI while Brandyn Sittinger and three relievers combined on a two-hit shutout.

Lancaster took control of the game immediately.  Melvin Mercedes doubled to left center on the first pitch thrown by Colt Webb (1-1) and moved up as Cordero flied to deep right center.  Kelly Dugan picked up that run with a sacrifice fly.  Lancaster rebuilt as Ariel Sandoval doubled inside the third base bag and scored on a single into right by Wilson Garcia.

Jalen Miller bobbled the transfer on a two-out ground ball by Mercedes in the second leading to Lancaster’s third run.  Cordero followed with a soft line drive single into left center.  Yeison Coca scored from second.  Mercedes raced around to score as well as the throw went into second base.

An RBI double to left by Coca and Cordero’s 404-foot homer up on the left field hill stretched the lead to 9-0 in the bottom of the fourth.

An RBI single to Sandoval and a wild pitch led to Lancaster’s final two runs in the sixth.

Sittinger (3-3) worked the first six innings.  He allowed a single to left center by Luis Roman in the second and Jose Bermudez’ double in the third, a ball that skipped past Sandoval’s diving effort.  The right-hander walked one and hit a batter while striking out six.  Garrett Granitz, Cole Aker and Tyler LaPorte pitched a scoreless inning apiece to close out the afternoon.

Lancaster will entertain Gastonia on Tuesday evening at 6:30 with Brent Teller (2-3) on the hill.  Fans may view the game on Blue Ridge 11 and FloBaseball beginning at that time.

NOTES:  Cordero’s five RBI were the most by a Barnstormer this season and the most Cordero has had in his two seasons…He has 150 RBI in a Lancaster jersey…His homer was Lancaster’s first in six games…Coca’s double in the fourth extended his hitting streak to 11, one shy of the season high for the club…Granitz got three groundouts on seven pitches in his return, pitching for the first time since 2021…Lancaster has now thrown three shutouts this season…The club has a run differential of +7 on the year.