Bluefish Dump ‘Stormers

Lancaster Slides Out of First with 9-2 Loss

Bridgeport rapped out 14 hits, including an inside-the-park home run, knocking the Lancaster Barnstormers out of first place with a 9-2 victory Wednesday evening at Harbor Yard.

Earlier in the day, Southern Maryland defeated the Sugar Land Skeeters for the fifth consecutive game to take over the Freedom Division lead by one game over the Barnstormers.

Caleb Gindl doubled home a run in the top of the first against Tyler Badamo (2-3), but it would prove to be the Barnstormers’ only run until the ninth.

Things went wrong quickly for Lancaster starter Brad Bergesen (3-4). Luis Hernandez took his first pitch of the game and popped it up to shallow left center. Vladimir Frias darted back with outfielders Darian Sandford and Trayvon Robinson charging in. The ball ticked off Frias’ glove for a leadoff single. D’Arby Myers belted the next pitch over the left field wall for his first homer of the season and a 2-1 lead. Two pitches later, Andrew Lambo singled into right.

Bergesen picked up two quick outs on ground balls, though, and appeared to be out of the inning when Tony Abreu stroked another in the direction of first baseman K.C. Hobson. That third grounder took a crazy hop over Hobson’s head and off the top of his glove, rolling away for an RBI double. Jonathan Galvez singled up the middle, and the Bluefish had a 4-1 lead.

Lancaster misfired with the bases loaded in back-to-back innings, and the Bluefish were able to put the game away in the third. Lambo led off with a pop fly down the left field line that third baseman Sean Halton could not quite corral, allowing Lambo to reach second on the double. Sean Burroughs singled Lambo home and scooted to second when the ball skipped past Robinson. After Bergesen picked up two outs, Galvez hit a sinking line drive to left that, again, got past Robinson. Galvez scampered all the way around the bases for the inside-the-park home run.

Galvez added another RBI single in the fifth, finishing the night with three hits and four RBI.

Darian Sandford singled home Tyler Clark in the top of the ninth to produce Lancaster’s second run. Clark, batting for the only time in the game, extended his hitting streak to six games.

The clubs wrap up the series on Thursday evening. Nate Reed (0-3) will make the start against Rainy Lara (4-2). Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:55.

NOTES: The Barnstormers once again struck out 10 opposing batters…Scott Shuman struck out the side on 13 pitches in the eighth…Four of Lancaster’s hits were doubles…Sandford stole a base in the first inning after reaching on an error, only his second in 10 games and his 33rd for the season.