BIG FIRST BOOSTS ‘STORMERS

Lancaster Tops Counter Clocks, 9-3

The Lancaster Barnstormers reached Yeudy Garcia for five runs in the bottom of the first and cruised to a 9-3 win over the Lexington Counter Clocks Tuesday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

It was the third straight win for the Barnstormers, who improved to 7-2 in the second half.

Melvin Mercedes drew a walk from Garcia (3-7) and advanced to second when Yeison Coca chopped a single off the glove of leaping third baseman Connor Owings.  Andretty Cordero lined a single to center to load the bases, and Ariel Sandoval drew a walk to force home a run.  Garcia retired Wilson Garcia on a foul pop to third, but Joseph Carpenter drove home a pair with a double down the left field line.  Jack Conley walked to refill the bases.  Shawon Dunston, Jr. forced Sandoval at the plate for the second out, but Trace Loehr blooped a single into left to extend the lead to 5-0.

Lancaster generated no offense over the next three innings, and the Counter Clocks got back into the game against Jared Lakind (5-2).  With two outs in the fourth, Logan Brown smoked a triple off the fence in right center and scored when Hector Roa beat out a dribbler toward Loehr at third.  In the fifth, Josue Huma reached on a single off Coca’s glove at short and moved to third on a hit-and-run single by Brandt Broussard. Owings flied to shallow right, but Thomas Dillard brought the run home with a force play grounder.

Newcomer Chad Sedio doubled with one out in the bottom of the third, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wilson Garcia as the Barnstormers reestablished control of the game with a 6-2 lead.  The Counter Clocks failed to pick up a hit in four innings against the Lancaster bullpen but did score a run in the eighth on a passed ball.  Lancaster scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Lancaster will send Nile Ball (4-4) to the mound on Wednesday evening against lefty Mike Kickham (1-3).  Fans may tune into either Blue Ridge Cable 11 or FloBaseball, beginning at 6:30.

NOTES:  Carpenter’s double extended his hitting streak to 10 games…The Cedar Crest product in 19-for-40 (.475) in the streak…Sedio was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk in his Atlantic League debut, replacing Sandoval in the fourth inning…Nick Duron retired the side in order in the ninth in his ALPB debut…Duron pitched one game for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022…Lakind won his fifth straight decision…The Barnstormers continued to average nine runs per game in the second half…Coca is hitting .434 in his last 20 games.