The Lancaster Barnstormers notched six runs in the bottom of the third inning on Saturday night, but it was Southern Maryland’s three “crooked number” innings that prevailed as the Blue Crabs captured the middle game of a three-game series, 10-7, at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
With the loss, the Barnstormers fell one-half game behind the York Revolution in the Freedom Division race. Sugar Land trails York by 2 ½ games.
Southern Maryland raced out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Tucker Nathans walked to lead off the inning and went to second on a one-out ground single by Ryan Wiggins. Jose Lozada found the gap in right center for a two-run double. Edwin Garcia and Nate Samson both stroked singles through the hole on the left side to produce a third run. Devon Rodriguez capped the five-run inning, singling to right center to score both Garcia and Samson.
Lancaster erased the lead with the huge third inning, scoring all the run with two outs. Cole Garner picked up a one-out single. Trayvon Robinson singled into right with two outs, and Steve Clevenger snuck a base hit into left to get the first run across the plate. Nate Coronado shot a double into the gap in left center, scoring two more. Following a walk to Lance Zawadzki, Josh Bell launched his sixth home run of the season onto the picnic deck for a 6-5 lead off Brian Grening (9-7).
Lozada opened the top of the fourth with a bunt single off Joe Gardner (2-4), stole second went to third on a grounder by Garcia and scored with Samson rolled a base hit up the middle. Samson stole second and scored on a single into right field by Rodriguez.
John Kuchno allowed a single and a pair of walks, and Tucker Nathans drove a three-run double into the left field corner off John Anderson to boost the Blue Crabs lead to 10-6.
The Barnstormers countered with an RBI double from Beau Amaral in the bottom of the sixth and had the tying run at the plate with nobody out but never scored again against four Southern Maryland right-handed relievers. Cody Eppley finished the game for his league leading 31st save.
Brad Bergesen (9-8) takes the mound on Sunday afternoon against lefty David Russo (1-3). Team posters will be given away at the gate. Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel starting at 1:45.
NOTES: Darian Sandford reached on an infield single in the sixth to stretch a hitting streak to 12 games…Garner is 12-for-22 in the last five games…Robinson has reached base in 37 of his last 39 starts…Coronado had two hits to lift his average to .339.
