BARNSTORMERS ROUTED BY DUCKS

Dickerson Blasts Lead Long Island to 14-3 Victory

An extra-long Fourth of July fireworks show entertained a crowd of 6,410 at Clipper Magazine Stadium on Tuesday.

Before thousands of shells exploded beyond the left field wall, the game itself was a dud for the home crowd.

Alex Dickerson launched a pair of home runs, and the Long Island Ducks took advantage of ten walks and two errors, routing the Barnstormers, 14-3, in the opener of a three-game series.

It was the most one-sided loss of the season for the Barnstormers, topping a 9-1 Memorial Day defeat in the first game of a doubleheader at Gastonia.  With the win, Long Island remained within one-half game of York in a two-way North Division chase.

Dickerson followed a pair of walks with a three-run homer to right off Brandyn Sittinger (3-6) to stake the Ducks to an early 3-0 lead.

An RBI infield single by Ariel Sandoval in the first and Melvin Mercedes’ leadoff homer in the third off Robert Stock (4-0) brought the Barnstormers to within one.  However, Dickerson swung the momentum back to the Long Island side with a leadoff liner onto the right field deck in the fourth.

It was still a contest, though, until the top of the fifth when the roof caved in for a seven-run inning.  Sittinger walked two and yielded two singles before leaving a 5-2 game with the bases loaded and nobody out.  A passed ball during a third strike to Wilson Ramos let a sixth run in, and Joe DeCarlo’s sacrifice fly gave the Ducks a 7-2 edge.

The inning appeared over when Tzu-Wei Lin grounded a Bret Clarke pitch to second, but Mercedes’ throw, with the setting sun directly behind, handcuffed a blinded Andretty Cordero as another run scored.  Brian Goodwin added a two-run single, and Alejandro de Aza knocked home another as the game was out of control at 11-2.

Mercedes had three hits, and Trace Loehr collected two in the loss.

Lancaster will send right-hander Spencer Johnston (1-0) to the hill on Wednesday evening at 6:30.  Fans may tune in on FloBaseball, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  The game marked Shawon Dunston, Jr.’s return to the lineup…He was 0-for-4 with a walk, flying out to the warning track to end the game…Loehr is 9-for-12 against the Ducks on the year…All four of Mercedes’ homers have been hit in Lancaster…Dickerson became the fifth opposing player with a multi-HR game this season.