BARNSTORMERS SPLIT MAKEUP DOUBLEHEADER

Sandoval Homers to Win Opener

The Lancaster Barnstormers split a doubleheader on a one-day trip to Southern Maryland that officially concluded the first half of the schedule.

Lancaster finished the first half with a 25-38 record while Southern Maryland ended at 31-32.

Ariel Sandoval launched a game-winning homer in the top of the seventh for a 5-3 victory in the opener of the makeup twinbill while Jesse Estrada threw a complete game four-hitter in the nightcap as the Blue Crabs grabbed the nightcap, 8-0.

Lancaster trailed, 3-2, heading into the top of the seventh in Game One.  Trace Loehr led off with a single off the left field wall off Jake Gilliland (1-1) and moved to second on a bunt by Shawon Dunston, Jr.  Yeison Coca singled Loehr to third, putting the tying run in scoring position.  With Andretty Cordero at the plate, Coca took off for second and pulled up short to get into a rundown.  The Blue Crabs defended the play perfectly with a throw home cutting down Loehr and leaving Coca at second.  Cordero delivered a game-tying single up the middle before Sandoval reached the left field deck for a line drive home run and the 5-3 win.

Matt Reitz (1-0) made the emergency start for the Barnstormers and worked six innings, allowing five hits and three runs.  He allowed a solo homer to Khalil Lee in the first and another to Matt Hibbert in the fourth.  He retired the last nine batters he faced before turning the game over to Dominic DiSabatino who got the side in order for his first save.

Joseph Carpenter went 3-for-3 with a homer for the Barnstormers.

In the nightcap, Estrada (1-3) checked the Barnstormers on four singles while walking three and striking out four.  The 38-year old Texan threw 118 pitches in the complete game effort.

Austin Mora (0-1), like Reitz signed from the Black Sox squad for the doubleheader, fell behind immediately.  He walked Phillip Caulfield on four pitches, then surrendered Jack Sundberg’s fourth homer of the season.  Isaias Quiroz followed with another blast, and, two batters later, Ian Yetsko belted the third homer of the inning for a 4-0 lead.

Yetsko added another homer in the fifth as the first batter to face Spencer Johnston, and Sundberg had a third RBI on a double down the right field line in the fourth.

The Barnstormers resume second half play on Tuesday evening at Long Island.  Brent Teller (4-4) will start against right-hander Justin Courtney.  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, starting at 6:30.

NOTES:  Coca continued his tear, going 2-for-3 in game one…He is 18-for-37 in a 10-game streak…Reitz threw five innings for Charleston against York last Wednesday, yielding only one run…Mora was making his first Atlantic League appearance of the year…Lancaster had faced him September 14 of last season when he threw 5 1/3 shutout innings for York…Reitz was ejected from the dugout during Game Two…Lancaster played the DH without Melvin Mercedes who was at home in New York for a family medical situation…Mercedes will rejoin the club for the Long Island series.