Bridgeport Allowed to Lurk, Rallies to Win

Barnstormers Fall on Ninth Inning Rally

Four unearned runs allowed the Bridgeport Bluefish to stay in Saturday night’s game against the Lancaster Barnstormers, and the Bluefish rallied with two in the bottom of the ninth to bump off the Barnstormers, 6-5, in the sixth game of the weeklong home-and-home series.

All six games in the series have been decided in the seventh inning or later, with the winning run in four of them crossing the plate in the ninth.

 Daniel Fields led off the home ninth with a single to left against Cody Hall (1-2).  Hall struck out Jonathan Galvez, but Tony Abreu flared a single to right to add a second runner.  Santiago Nessy fought back to a 3-2 count, fouled off a couple of pitches then grounded a single into left to load the bases.  Hall worked ahead of Ozney Guillen 1-2 but ended up walking him to force home the tying run.  A wild pitch allowed pinch runner D’Arby Myers to score the winning tally.

 Lancaster errors in each of the first two innings led to a 3-1 Bridgeport lead.  Lancaster struck back in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer to left center by Caleb Gindl to level the score at 3-3.  Darian Sandford opened the seventh with a chopper over Abreu at third and legged out a double.  A scorcher by Gindl advanced Sandford to third.  He eventually scored on a sac fly by Kevin Ahrens as the Barnstormers took their first lead of the night.

 A bases loaded walk to K.C. Hobson in the eighth pushed another run home, giving the Barnstormers a two-run cushion, but the Bluefish nicked R.J. Hively for a run in the bottom of the eighth on two infield singles, a passed ball and a wild pitch to pull within one.

 Lancaster banged out 13 hits on the night but stranded 12 runners on the bases.  Two others were lost as starter Charles Brewer curtailed the Lancaster running game, and the Barnstormers grounded into two double plays.

 Barnstormers’ starter Elih Villanueva lasted six innings and checked the Bluefish on four singles.  He walked one and struck out five.  Daniel Moskos pitched to three batters in the seventh.

 The two clubs wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon at 1:10.  Lancaster will send Jarret Leverett (0-0) to the hill against Rainy Lara (1-0).  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel at 12:50.

 NOTES:  Lancaster lost by a run for the fifth time this season…The Barnstormers turned three ground ball double plays for a season total of 19…Garrett Weber was perfect at the plate with three singles, a walk, and he was hit by a pitch…Trayvon Robinson played for the first time since the morning game on April 27…Vladimir Frias picked up his eighth RBI of the series on a bases loaded grounder in the second.