“Second Half” Stormers Take Opener
The team known as the “Second Half” Stormers picked up a 5-3 win in the opener of the latter stage of the season behind seven strong innings from Noah Bremer Saturday evening at Truist Point.
Lancaster’s ace right-hander yielded nine hits and two runs over those seven frames in improving to 7-3 on the season. Bremer walked one and struck out four, dealing his sixth straight quality start.
Jack Conley put Lancaster on the board with a two-run homer in the top of the second off Jonah Scolaro (2-1). Scolaro had been reactivated from the injured list earlier and the day and lasted four innings.
High Point did everything but tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Colin Moran led off with a double to left center and held his ground as Quincy Latimore beat out a scratch single toward third baseman Trace Loehr. Connor Owings drove a ball to deep left center which Chris Proctor could not reel in, but the Rockers were conservative on the bases with Moran beating a throw home and Latimore holding at second. Clayton Mehlbauer was robbed of a bloop hit on a diving catch by Shawon Dunston, Jr., and Brian Parreira’s ground ball on the right side hit Owings for the second out. Bremer got D.J. Burt to bounce back to the mound, ending the threat.
Mason Martin stretched the lead with a solo home run in the top of the fifth, and Chris Proctor made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth.
A leadoff double by Parreira led to a run in the bottom of the seventh. Ben Aklinski opened the bottom of the eighth with a single off Ted Stuka, moved to second on a wild pitch, to third on Jack Conley’s throw into center, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Fritz Genther. Quincy Latimore followed with a single to chase Stuka. Phil Diehl took over. His bad pickoff throw moved Latimore to second. Owings was retired on a 3-1 ground out, and Mehlbuaer struck out, stranding the tying run at third.
Chris Proctor reached to open the ninth when High Point failed to convert a grounder to first baseman Evan Edwards into an out. Jack Conley singled Proctor to third, and Lancaster produced an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Loehr.
Matt Swarmer (0-1) will start for the Stormers on Sunday afternoon at 4:05. Fans may tune into FloBaseball at 4:00 as Lancaster attempts to sweep the series.
NOTES: The win was Lancaster’s first of the season in a two-run game…Martin has nine extra base hits in his last six games…Dunston had two more doubles and has four extra base hits in the series…Bremer tied for the league lead with his seventh win.