BARNSTORMERS DROP SECOND STRAIGHT

Long Island Prevails, 4-3

The Lancaster Barnstormers left 13 runners on base on Saturday night, falling, 4-3, to the Long Island Ducks at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

With the loss, Lancaster’s second straight, the Barnstormers retain a two-game lead over Southern Maryland.  York has also pulled to within two while Staten Island lags four games behind.  All four clubs have 14 games remaining on the schedule.

The Barnstormers outhit the Ducks, 9-6.  They drew one more walk, had the only home run of the game, and it was Long Island that was guilty of the game’s only error.  Still, Long Island found the winning combination.

Jared Lakind (8-4) yielded back-to-back singles to open the home third.  Scott Kelly bunted the runners to second and third.  Ruben Tejada smashed a single off third baseman Trace Loehr’s glove to produce the first run, and Alex Dickerson followed up with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Andretty Cordero opened the fourth with a homer to left.  Wilson Garcia followed with a single, and Chad Sedio was hit by a pitch.  Typical of the night, Joe Iorio (5-8) retired the next three without the runners moving to protect the 2-1 edge.

The score remained until the bottom of the sixth, when, with one out, Carlos Castro doubled to left, chasing Lakind.  Bret Clarke came on in relief, and his first two offerings changed the course of the game.  His first hit Brantley Bell in the back.  Clarke then stumbled in his next delivery, with the ball slipping out of his hand toward the third base dugout.  Lancaster opted to walk Joe DeCarlo intentionally to fill the bases, but Clarke walked Jonathan Guzman on a 3-2 pitch to force home a run.  Scott Kelly hit a smash to second, but a momentarily bobble cost Lancaster a chance at a double play.

The Barnstormers proceeded to leave two runners on base in the seventh.  Yeison Coca delivered a bases-loaded single in the eighth to cut the lead to 4-3, but Al Alburquerque got Cordero to hit a smash to third, ending the inning.

Garcia opened the ninth with his third hit of the game.  Sedio launched a deep fly to right which was taken by Dickerson in front of the warning track off Jose Jose.  The lefty retired the next two for his fourth save.

The Barnstormers will send Matt Swarmer (2-1) to the mound on Sunday afternoon against lefty Ian Clarkin (3-3).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, starting at 1:30.

NOTES:  Cordero’s homer extended his hitting streak to 13…Lakind lost for only the second time in the last 10 decisions…Coca is 6-for-11 with the bases loaded…The Barnstormers are 7-21 in one-run games.