Barnstormers Fall in Series Finale

BARNSTORMERS FALL IN SERIES FINALE

Sugar Land Avoids Sweep, 6-2

Sean Gleason recovered from a rough beginning, and Sugar Land banged out six extra base hits as the Skeeters avoided a sweep with a 6-2 victory over the Lancaster Barnstormers Sunday afternoon at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

York also lost, so the Barnstormers maintain a two-game lead over the Revs headed in the Freedom Division race.

The Barnstormers were able to reach Gleason for single runs in each of the first two innings.  Beau Amaral led off the game with a double and scored eventually on a grounder to second by Cole Garner.  In the next inning, Nate Coronado singled, stole second, took third on a Josh Bell grounder and scored when Anderson De La Rosa rapped a ground ball double down the first base line.

However, after the De La Rosa double, the Barnstormers managed only one hit the rest of the day off Gleason (2-7) and the Skeeters bullpen.

Sugar Land began its comeback in the fifth after being shut down by Rommie Lewis over the first four innings.  Wilfredo Rodriguez unlocked the door with a leadoff double past Trayvon Robinson in left, and Albert Cordero followed with a double into the right field corner, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Lewis (6-9) escaped from there, but the Skeeters opened another uprising in the sixth.  Anthony Giansanti led off with a single to right, and Cole Gillespie followed with a base hit into left center.  Lewis retired Kevin Ahrens, who had doubled twice earlier, on a fly out to left field.

Manager Ross Peeples went to Kevin Munson out of the bullpen.  The right-hander hit Bryan Pounds with his first pitch, and Rodriguez reached him for a two-run single to left center on an 0-2 pitch to put Sugar Land in the lead.

Gillespie tacked on a two-run homer in the eighth, and the final Skeeters’ run, an unearned tally, came home on a double to right by Cordero.

The Barnstormers are off on Monday before heading to Bridgeport for a three-game, two-day series, starting Tuesday.  Joe Gardner (0-0) will get the start for the Barnstormers on Tuesday.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:55.

NOTES:  Amaral and Coronado extended hitting streaks to seven games…Halton pushed his hitting streak to 13, a season-high by a Barnstormer…Halton did not drive in a run, ending his RBI streak at eight…The Barnstormers still have not swept a series at home this season, but, at the same time, have lost only one.