Barnstormers Close Out May With Comeback Win

Late Rally Gains Split for Lancaster

One of the best months in the history of the Lancaster Barnstormers was capped by one of the best comeback wins over those 14 years.

Down, 5-0, through five innings in the second game of a doubleheader Thursday afternoon, the ‘Stormers struck for a pair of three-run innings to overturn the Somerset Patriots, 6-5.  Somerset took the opener, 8-3.

With the split, the division-leading Barnstormers ended the month with a 20-6 record, tied for the most games over .500 for a month with the 2012 club which went 22-8 in August.  They fell just short of the winning percentage mark that was established in September, 2015, when Lancaster went 16-4 on a late surge to win the second half.

Joey Terdoslavich got the rally started with an opposite field homer off lefty Chase Huchingson leading off the sixth.  Trayvon Robinson followed with a walk and took second on a two-out wild pitch. Anderson De La Rosa cut the lead to 5-2 with a double to the left center gap.  He scored when Alfredo Rodriguez’ low throw to first skipped through Alex Castellanos.

The top of the seventh (Lancaster was batting as the road team in the makeup from May 12) went along similar lines.   This time, it was Vladimir Frias who led off with a homer to right off Dustin Antolin (0-1).  One out later, Terdoslavich walked and went to second on a wild pitch.  Robinson fell behind, 1-2, then forced a full count before drilling a double to the alley in right center to tie the game.  A ground out send Robinson to third and he scored when Antolin bounced a pitch past catcher Alfonso Reda.

Matt Reynolds took over and pitched a 1-2-3 inning for his seventh save, holding the lead for Kevin Munson (1-0) who tossed a three-batter sixth inning.

Somerset built the 5-0 lead off Tommy Shirley through the first five innings.  Justin Trapp homered to left center in the third inning. Rodriguez singled home two in the fourth, and the Patriots put two more on the board in the fifth on a double steal that scored Justin Pacchioli and an RBI single off the right field wall from Alex Castellanos.

In the opener, Endy Chavez and Kyle Roller each hit his first home run of the season off Brooks Hall (2-2) in the right-hander’s first start since his deal with the San Francisco Giants fell through.  Chavez added an RBI single, and Aaron Dudley chimed in with two RBI on a sacrifice fly and a double.

Cory Riordan (3-1) went the distance for Somerset in the opener. The right-hander allowed seven hits while walking none and striking out four.  Lancaster scored all three of its runs on homer.  Tyler Bortnick hit a solo blast to left in the third, and Frias unloaded a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh.

Patriots’ third baseman Craig Massey made the defensive play of the doubleheader in the bottom of the first in the opener.  With runners at second and third and one out, Ryan Casteel ripped a liner toward the hole, but Massey made the diving catch to protect a 2-0 lead.

The Barnstormers will entertain the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Friday evening.  Joe Gardner (2-2) will take the hill for Lancaster against Casey Delgado (2-2) in a rematch of a pitchers’ duel won, 2-1 by Southern Maryland last Friday.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:45.

NOTES:  All three of Frias’ homers this season have been hit off Somerset pitching…The shortstop did not start game two but entered after Rico Noel was ejected for arguing a call at first base in the top of the third…Reynolds retired all six batters he faced in the series, four on strikeouts…He needed just 20 pitches between the two appearances…De La Rosa is 15-for-32 (.469) in his last nine games to boost his season average to .275 (up from .108)…He has three doubles in his last seven at bats…Lancaster stole four bases in the doubleheader and now has 63 in 30 games for the season…Darian Sandford picked up his 63^rd steal in a Lancaster uniform, tying him with Lloyd Turner for fourth on the all-time list…To cut the roster back to 25, the Barnstormers traded outfielder Keenyn Walker to the Chicago Dogs of the American Association, the expansion squad managed by long-time Lancaster Skipper Butch Hobson…They also released right-hander Jesus Sanchez following the game…Grant Desme left the second game with an injury and is listed as day-to-day.