BARNSTORMERS OUTLAST YORK

BARNSTORMERS OUTLAST YORK

Lancaster Manufactures Runs to Win Homestand Opener

The Lancaster Barnstormers scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth without hitting the ball out of the infield to pull out a thrilling, 4-2 win over the York Revolution Wednesday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Those two runs may, however, prove costly as outfielder LeDarious Clark had to be assisted off the field with an apparent ankle injury.  The severity of the injury is unknown at this time.

Clark opened the inning by legging out a single to the hole at shortstop on which Elmer Reyes’s back foot skidded slightly when he went to make the throw.  With Clark running, Colton Shaver hit a bouncer near second base.  Second baseman Yefri Perez was dashing for the ball, forcing Clark to go hard into the bag with the ball bouncing free.  Clark remained on the bag until time was called, was on the ground for a time before being aided off the field by his teammates.  He was carted from the dugout to the clubhouse following the inning.

Trayvon Robinson bunted pinch runner Trace Loehr to third and Shaver to second.  Anderson Feliz shot a grounder to the left of Perez, who fired home for a play on Loehr.  The ball bounced away from catcher Jhon Nunez, allowing Shaver to score as well for the second run off Nick Green (0-1).

The lead barely held in the ninth.  West Tunnell walked Carlos Franco to lead off the inning.  After Tunnell struck out Nellie Rodriguez, Josue Herrera lined an 0-2 fastball into center.  J.C. Encarnacion, who homered off Tunnell on Monday lifted a deep fly ball to right center.  Shawon Dunston, Jr., who had taken over for Clark in center retreated to the fence to make the catch.  Franco was around third and could not beat Dunston’s throw back to second for the final out of the night.

Shaver gave the Barnstormers a 1-0 lead in the second with a leadoff homer off Jorge Martinez.  One inning later, Lancaster notched a second run.  Dunston led off with a single to left center and stole second.  Melvin Mercedes got him to third with a bunt, and Kelly Dugan plated the run with a grounder on the right side.

Erik Manoah retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced before getting into a tight spot in the sixth.  The right-hander walked Yefri Perez and yielded a sharp single to right that sent Perez to third.  Manoah recovered and coaxed a 4-3 double play out of Troy Stokes, Jr. as a run scored but the inning settled down.

York tied the game off Josh Graham in the seventh.  Franco extended his record on base streak to 49 games with a leadoff single to right, and Rodriguez snuck a base hit into left.  Herrera hit a harmless fly ball to center for the first out, but Encarnacion ripped a double inside third base to drive home Franco.  Graham struck out Connor Lien for the second out, and Perez lined to short to end the threat.

Scott Shuman (1-1) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning to earn the win.

The two clubs wrap up the five-game, home-and-home series on Thursday.  Lancaster will send Oscar De La Cruz to the mound against right hander Alex Sanabia (3-2).  Fans may view the game on Blue Ridge 11 or the Barnstormers YouTube channel, starting at 6:30.

NOTES:  Dunston stole his 14^th, 15^th and 16^th bases since joining the club on June 9…Shaver’s homer was just his third at home…Mercedes is batting .406 in his last 17 games…Lancaster now leads the War of the Roses, 11-8, with 13 games remaining.

About the Lancaster Barnstormers

The 2022 Lancaster Barnstormers, presented by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, are in their 18^th year in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.  Home games are played at Ballpark Digest’s three-time Best Ballpark in MLB Partner League Baseball – Clipper Magazine Stadium in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Please call 717.509.HITS (4487) or visit www.lancasterbarnstormers.com for more information. 

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

With teams throughout the Mid-Atlantic, the ALPB is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. Through its exclusive partnership with MLB, the Atlantic League tests Major League Baseball rules and equipment initiatives. The Atlantic League has sent over 1,000 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 44 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 24-year history. For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.

###