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BARNSTORMERS INCH CLOSER

Hobson, McDade Lead Lancaster to 7-5 Win in Texas

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The Lancaster Barnstormers won their fourth consecutive game on Friday evening, sending the Sugar Land Skeeters to a 7-5 loss at Constellation Field.

It was the seventh consecutive defeat for the host Skeeters, moving Lancaster to within 6 ½ games of first place in the Freedom Division and wild card standings.

Mike McDade went 3-for-5 with a home run and two doubles for the Barnstormers in the win. K.C. Hobson added a two-run triple in a 3-for-4 performance.

Mike Jacobs’ RBI single to right staked Joe Gardner to a 1-0 lead in the first, and Lancaster added two unearned runs off Aaron Thompson (8-5) in the second, one on a double by Trayvon Robinson. Hobson stretched the lead to 5-1 with his booming triple to right center in the fourth inning.

Gardner (2-0) worked well with the lead. The right-hander allowed 11 hits, all but one a single, and did not walk anyone.

His toughest inning came in the fifth. Josh Prince reached on a single to the hole at shortstop, and Rene Tosoni followed with a line drive single into right. Ricky Hague popped up a bunt, but it fell in as both Gardner and McDade scrambled for the loose ball. Travis Scott plated Prince with a sacrifice fly, and Jeremy Barfield reloaded the bases with a solid single into left.

Hobson’s glove prevented any more damage. He handed a crisp grounder by Delwyn Young to get a force at second for the second out. Hobson made an even better play on Lance Zawadzki with a diving stop to his right for the final out of the inning with the lead at 6-4.

Pete Andrelczyk stared down a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the bottom of the eighth, yielding only one run on a Jeff Dominguez sacrifice fly to left. Cory Burns struck out the final two batters in the ninth for his 25th save.

The Barnstormers will send right-hander Joey Maher (1-2) to the hill on Saturday against right-hander Sean Gallagher (8-8). Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:45 EDT.

NOTES: Hobson has driven home at least one run in five straight games and has 23 RBI in his last 20 games…Burns has converted 14 save opportunities in a row…Robinson has batted safely in five straight as has Hobson.