BARNSTORMERS WIN BRAWL-MARRED CONTEST

Devon Torrence bunted for his fourth hit of the night with Lancaster leading, 7-0.

On his fifth trip to the plate, he took a Dan Runzler fastball to the back.

Benches cleared, and by the time order was restored to the field, six players and Sugar Land manager Pete Incaviglia were ejected in a game eventually won by the Barnstormers, 8-1.

Lancaster lost infielder Michael Martinez and temporarily inactive pitcher Buddy Baumann to the thumb along with first baseman K.C. Hobson.  Incaviglia was tossed by plate umpire Ken Levanthal along with first baseman Denis Phipps, catcher Albert Cordero and center fielder Rico Noel.

After Torrence was drilled by the pitch in the top of the eighth, he went to take first.  Phipps began exchanging words with the Barnstormers side of the field then charged toward the third base side.  Benches emptied, and relievers came flying out of the right field bullpens as the two clubs swarmed near the home plate side of the Lancaster dugout.  Calm seemed to return to the field, but tempers flared again on the far side of the ‘Stormers perch.

Torrence opened the night with a double flared down the left field line.  He took third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Caleb Gindl.

Destin Hood homered off Chase De Jong (2-1) to open the second, but it was in the third when the Barnstormers busted loose.  With one out, Torrence singled on a soft liner to center.  Darian Sandford chopped a ball toward second baseman Anthony Giansanti, who went to swipe a tag on Torrence but was ruled to have missed.  Giansanti’s throw to first was dropped by Phipps for an error.

Caleb Gindl doubled over the head of left fielder Blair Beck for a 3-0 lead.  Andrew Aplin singled through the left side to knock home two more and took second on the throw home.  Hood made it 6-0 when his bloop down the right field line landed inches fair.

Torrence’s single came after Zach Shank doubled and scored on a single by Melvin Mercedes in the sixth.  A single by Gindl produced the ‘Stormers final run of the night.

Nate Reed (1-2) fired 6 1/3 shutout innings to earn his first win of the season.  The left-hander walked none and struck out five while scattering six hits.

Sugar Land scored an unearned run in the eighth.

The seven-game series wraps up on Sunday.  Jonathan Albaladejo (2-6) will make the start for the Barnstormers against right-hander Dallas Beeler (6-4) in a rematch of Tuesday night.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel at 6:45 EDT.

NOTES:  Aplin singled and tripled to extend his hitting streak to 15 games…Torrence had his first game with three or more hits in going 4-for-4 and now has a six-game hitting streak…Reed’s win was his 30^th as a Barnstormer, moving him to within two of Dwayne Pollok’s record…Hood has driven in at least one run in nine of his last 10 games and has 18 RBI in his last 12.