Lancaster Tops New Britain, 3-2
For the first time in 10 days, the Lancaster Barnstormers saw the sun.
For the first time in 11 days, they tasted victory.
The Barnstormers scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on Saturday night to hold on to a 3-2 victory over the fledgling New Britain Bees Saturday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
Bryan Woodall (2-0) worked six innings to earn the win for Lancaster. Â The right-hander tied his Lancaster high in walks with four but allowed only five hits and a pair of unearned runs in piecing together his 12th quality start in his last 13 Atlantic League outings.
New Britain jumped ahead, 2-0, in the top of the second. Â Jon Griffin led off with a single to center and advanced to second on a walk to James Skelton. Â Woodall fanned Anthony Hewitt for the first out, but Jon Jones reached when his slow grounder toward third base was bobbled by Josh Bell for an error. Â Brandon Chaves produced the first run with a sacrifice fly sliced to left. Â One-time Barnstormer Greg Golson hit a smash toward the middle. Â Second baseman Jeff Kobernus flagged the ball to his right, but a quick feed to shortstop Kevin Ahrens was too late to get Jones. Â Skelton raced all the way home from second, beating the relay for the 2-0 lead.
The Barnstormers responded with a single tally off another ex-Barnstormer, Kyle Simon (0-1), in the third. Â Travis Witherspoon walked with one out, and Kobernus followed with a single to right, chasing Witherspoon to third. Â Kobernus stole second, and Witherspoon was able to score when Michael Crouse grounded to short.
Charlie Cutler triggered the winning rally in the fifth with a double inside the first base bag. Â Witherspoon picked up his second walk, and Kobernus reached on a squibber to the third base side of the mound to load the bases. Â Crouse rolled a grounder to the left of second baseman Jonathan Roof. Â Roof gloved the ball, but fired wildly to second in an attempt to force Kobernus. Â Cutler and Witherspoon both scored on the play as Lancaster grabbed a 3-2 lead.
Josh Wall allowed a walk and a single to open the seventh but struck out Jovan Rosa for the first out.  Matt Reynolds retired the next two batters to protect the lead.  Scott Gracey allowed a walk in a scoreless eighth, and Cory Burns survived Rosa’s two-out single in the ninth to earn his second save.
The Barnstormers and the Bees will square off in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader on Mother’s Day.  Right-hander J.D. Martin is scheduled to go in the opener against right-hander Brian Dupra.  In game two, Austin Bibens-Dirkx will go against lefty Josh Outman.  The first pitch is scheduled for 2:00.  Both games will be seven innings.  The action will be carried on Blue Ridge Cable 11 and streamed on the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, starting at 2:00.
NOTES:  Lancaster won its first one-run game of the season…Woodall won a game while allowing a run for the first time as a Barnstormer…New Britain was held without an extra base hit in the game…Wall, a former Dodger, made his Atlantic League debut.