BARNSTORMERS TRIPPED UP, LOSE SECOND STRAIGHT

Big Relief Outing by Weinhardt Carries Sugar Land

A grand opportunity for the Lancaster Barnstormers loomed in the third inning on Tuesday evening.

Already leading by a run, the Barnstormers picked up a leadoff single by Caleb Gindl and a walk to Blake Gailen. Then, starter Jake Hale left with an injury on a 1-2 pitch to K.C. Hobson.

Robbie Weinhardt came in and got Hobson to line into a double play on a leaping catch by first baseman Travis Scott and went on to throw three shutout innings of relief, allowing the Sugar Land Skeeters to rally for a 6-4 victory over the ‘Stormers at Constellation Field.

Weinhardt (6-6) struck out Josh Bell to end the inning. His teammates put one run on the board against spot starter Justin Jackson (1-1) in the bottom of the inning as Lance Zawadzki singled, stole second, took third on a ground out and came home on a Jeff Dominguez sac fly.

Jackson was knocked out in the fourth. He walked Ricky Hague after getting ahead, 0-2. Delwyn Young followed with an RBI double into the left field corner, and Jeremy Barfield drilled a single into left. Travis Scott picked up a run on a force play ground ball against reliever R.J. Hively.

Three singles off Hively in the fifth inning made it a 4-1 game. In the sixth, Barfield greeted Ryan Dennick with a doubled to left. Scott picked him up with a single to right center, and the Skeeters led, 5-1.

Lancaster chipped back with a run in the seventh. Mike McDade picked up a one-out walk from Jon Velasquez, and Yusuke Kajimoto added a single. Gindl, who homered to start the game, flied to left, but Gailen picked up the run with a double into the right field corner. Andrew Johnston retired Hobson on a fly ball to center to end the threat.

Barfield took Evan Meek’s first pitch over the picnic tents in left for his 18th home run of the season to start the eighth, stretching the Sugar Land lead back to four.

Lancaster gave itself a chance in the ninth. McDade walked, and pinch runner Dean Wilson scored on Gindl’s double to left. Hobson added a two-out RBI single, but Josh Bell was caught looking at a third strike on a Derrick Loop breaking pitch to close out the game.

The Barnstormers will send right-hander Joey Maher to the hill on Wednesday night against lefty Aaron Thompson (7-3). Fans may tune into the Lancaster Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 7:45 EDT.

NOTES: Gindl has hit in 12 straight, going 21-for-53 with nine doubles and three homers…Sean Halton extended his hitting streak to 11 with a pair of infield singles…Hobson’s single in the ninth gave him a 10-game streak…The all-time series between Lancaster and Sugar Land stands at 46-46.