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BARNSTORMERS SLIP BY STATEN ISLAND

Gann, Bullpen Dazzle in Shutout

Lancaster managed only two hits on Thursday evening.  As it turned out, they did not need either.

Cameron Gann and a pair of relievers combined on a five-hit shutout, and a first inning unearned run held up in a 1-0 victory over the Staten Island Ferryhawks at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The win ended a six-game losing streak for the host Barnstormers.

Gann (4-3) fired seven innings, yielding just three hits.  The right-hander walked none and struck out six.  He only had to contend with one runner in scoring position during his stint.  Yunior Santana doubled into the right field corner with one out in the third and took third on a bobble by Trayvon Robinson.  Gann struck out Alfredo Reyes looking and Dilson Herrera swinging to end the mild threat.  He would face only two batters over the minimum in his seven innings of work.

Chase Johnson took over in the eighth and allowed a scratch single to Ricardo Cespedes before getting a 4-6-3 double play out of Santana.  Josh Graham yielded a two-out single to center by Ben Ruta in the ninth but struck out Angel Aguilar for the final out to earn his fifth save.

Lancaster’s only run crossed in the bottom of the first without a benefit of a hit.  Newly acquired Shawn Dunston, Jr. walked and took second on a wild pitch.  Melvin Mercedes advanced the runner to third on a grounder to first baseman Brandon Wagner.  Dakota Freese (1-2) struck out Kelly Dugan, but Lancaster scored when Aguilar bobbled Andretty Cordero’s grounder to third for an error.

Unlike Staten Island, the Barnstormers threatened all night, leaving runners in scoring position in five different innings, in cases with loud outs.  Dugan and Robinson both had extra base hits knocked down by the wind with great plays turned in by Cespedes in the right center alley.  In the fifth, Melvin Mercedes lined to first with two aboard and one out.  After Dugan walked to load the bases, Cordero nailed a line drive directly at the second baseman Dilson Herrera.

For good measure, Colton Shaver, batting with runners at second and third in the eighth, smoked a line drive that drilled reliever Alex Katz, who knocked the ball down, froze the runners and picked up the inning’s second out.

The Barnstormers will entertain Lexington for a three-game series beginning on Friday.  Right-hander Nile Ball (1-3) will make the start for Lancaster.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube channel, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  Dunston and Cordero had Lancaster’s only hits, a season low…Both were singles…Cordero’s extended his hitting streak to nine games, the second longest on the team this season…The shutout was the second for Lancaster’s staff…Graham is 5-for-5 in saves since taking over as the closer…LeDarious Clark had his second three-steal night of the season and now has 15 swipes on the year.