BARNSTORMERS FALL TO DUCKS in OPENER

Teller Sustains Tough Luck Loss

Brent Teller was marvelous for six innings on Friday evening at Long Island.

He faltered in the seventh, and it proved costly.

Long Island struck for two runs off Teller (10-6) in the seventh and held on for a 2-1 win over the Lancaster Barnstormers in the opener of a four-game weekend series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

Lancaster remained two games ahead of Southern Maryland in the North race, but York pulled to within three of the Barnstormers.

Teller retired 15 straight and 18 of the first 19 that he faced until Ruben Tejada reached on a one-out single into right field in the seventh.  Alex Dickerson walked on a full count pitch, and Sam Travis broke a scoreless deadlock with a single into right field.  After Alejandro de Aza lined out to right, Carlos Castro rolled a single up the middle to bring home Dickerson with the second, and necessary, run.

Robert Stock shut out the Barnstormers for the first six innings, yielding four hits and three walks.  He stranded a runner in scoring position in three of those innings.  Jake Fishman (1-0) tossed a perfect seventh to earn the win.

The Barnstormers produced their lone run in the eighth.  Melvin Mercedes led off against Al Alburquerque with a double to right center.  Yeison Coca dropped a bunt in front of home plate.  Both Alburquerque and catcher Joe DeCarlo went for the ball with DeCarlo nipping Coca at first.  The batterymates left home plate unprotected, and Mercedes came home to score. 

Andretty Cordero followed with a single, but Wilson Garcia rapped into a double play to end the inning.  Jose Jose pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.

The Barnstormers will send Jared Lakind (8-3) to the mound against Joe Iorio (4-8) on Saturday.  Fans may tune into the stream on FloBaseball, beginning at 6:30.

NOTES:  The game was the fourth straight played by the Barnstormers in under 2:20…Cordero extended his hitting streak to 12…Lancaster played without Ariel Sandoval for the second straight night…Catcher Jack Conley was ejected in the top of the seventh after being called out on a check swing…Anthony Peroni took over in the bottom of the inning…The loss was Lancaster’s 20^th by one run on the season…Ofreidy Gomez made his Atlantic League debut in the home eighth and retired the side in order.