BARNSTORMERS OUTRACE HOUNDS

Cordero, Sandoval Hits Rally Lancaster

The Lancaster Barnstormers scored six unanswered runs on Saturday evening to topple the Spire City Ghost Hounds, 7-5, in the middle of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Lancaster improves to 5-2 in the second half with the win.

Down, 5-1, heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Barnstormers picked up a leadoff single by Trace Loehr.  One out later, Ariel Sandoval cranked an RBI double into the left field corner driving Loehr home.  Wilson Garcia lined a single off the glove of the leaping second baseman Starlin Castro.  Joseph Carpenter crept a single up the middle to cut the lead to 5-3, and Trayvon Robinson flared a single into left bringing the ‘Stormers one closer before Anthony Peroni grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Dovydas Neverauskas (1-1) struck out two of the first three batters he faced in the seventh, but between the strikeouts, he put Melvin Mercedes aboard with a walk.  Andretty Cordero tied the game with a double blasted to the deepest part of the stadium.  Cordero scored when Sandoval sliced a soft liner into right.

Carpenter doubled and scored on a single by Peroni for an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth before Andrew Lee survived a bases loaded jam to earn his sixth save.

Jose Marmolejos homered to right center for a 1-0 lead in the first for Spire City.  An RBI single in the third by Mercedes leveled the game at 1-1, a score taken through the fifth inning by starters Dominic DiSabatino and Matt Reitz.

Starlin Castro singled to open the sixth and took second on a wild pitch.  DiSabatino walked Marmolejos and was lifted by Lancaster skipper Ross Peeples in favor of lefty Zach Warren.  Warren caught Jimmy Paredes looking at a third strike, but Kole Cottam ripped a two-run double inside the third base bag for a 3-1 Ghost Hounds lead.  Luke Becker followed with a two-run homer, giving Spire City its biggest lead of the night.

Brandyn Sittinger (4-6) retired six of seven batters over the next two innings to earn the win.

Brent Teller (5-4) will take the mound for the Barnstormers on Sunday against right-hander Dustin Beggs (3-5).  Fans may tune into Blue Ridge 11 or FloBaseball, starting at 1:00.

NOTES:  Cordero drove in his 60^th run of the season and his 178^th as a Barnstormer…He has 44 RBI in his last 40 games…Sandoval went 2-for-3, lifting his season average to a league best .377…Mercedes is 19-for-42 (.452) in his last 11 games…Joseph Carpenter extended his hitting streak to eight (15-32, .469)…Use as the designated pinch runner, Jack Conley stole his club leading 18^th base.