Errors, Bloops in Sixth Boost Bees
No one hit a ball terribly hard for the New Britain Bees in the top of the sixth inning, but the visitors scored two critical runs en route to a 4-2 victory over the Lancaster Barnstormers Tuesday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
Lancaster remained within six games of the Sugar Land Skeeters and the York Revolution in the Freedom Division race while New Britain stayed 3 ½ behind Somerset in the Liberty. New Britain also climbed to within 1 ½ games of Sugar Land in the wild card chase.
Craig Maddox greeted Justin Jackson (3-2) with a looping single into left center and was forced at second on a Cole Garner bunt to first. A passed ball charged to Mike McDade sent Garner to second before Michael Crouse flied to shallow right field. Jon Griffin flared a base hit into right center. Sean Halton came up firing, but his throw skipped past McDade as Garner scored. Jackson backed up and attempted to throw behind Griffin, who had made a wide turn at second. That throw bounced away from Dean Wilson, and Griffin took third. He scored to give the Bees a 4-1 lead when Kevin Ahrens dropped a Steve Carrillo pop up behind second base on a mild collision with Wilson.
The Barnstormers had scored an unearned run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Josh Bell. Carrillo singled home New Britain’s first run of the night, also unearned, in the second. Greg Golson doubled with one out in the third on a bad hop off Bell’s glove down the third base line. Jovan Rosa singled up the middle, and Golson barely beat Caleb Gindl’s perfect throw to the plate.
Lancaster pulled to within two in the seventh as Kevin Ahrens doubled and came home to score on a pair of ground outs.
Nate Roe (5-1) allowed three hits and three walks in five innings to earn the win. Four relievers tossed an inning apiece for the Bees with Shawn Gilblair picking up his 19th save.
Lancaster will send left-hander Luis Gonzalez (1-0) to the hill on Wednesday evening against right-hander Kyle Simon (6-5). Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel beginning at 6:45.
NOTES: K.C. Hobson singled in the first inning to extend a hitting streak to eight games…The Barnstormers failed to homer for the first time in 12 games…The Barnstormers bullpen stretched its streak of scoreless innings to 11 1/3…McDade has five extra base hits in his last four games…Ahrens has an extra base hit in three straight games…Only two of the six runs in the game were earned.