CARDULLO HOMERS, UPEND ‘STORMERS

Stephen Cardullo blasted a pair of home runs on Tuesday evening as the High Point Rockers dropped the travel-weary Lancaster Barnstormers, 4-1, in the opener of a three-game series at the newly-opened BB&T Point.

The loss was Lancaster’s fifth straight, a new season high.

Cardullo took the third pitch of the game from Kyle Davies (4-3) over the wall in left center field for a quick, 1-0 lead.  The Rockers’ first baseman again took Davies in the same direction for a two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh.

High Point’s other run came in the fourth.  Hector Gomez led off with a double inside the third base bag and came home on a single to center by Richie Shaffer.

Davies worked seven innings, the fifth straight game he has worked at least that far.  He yielded nine hits and all four runs, walking just one and striking out two.

He was outdueled by High Point’s Edwin Carl (1-0), a one-time Barnstormer of short duration.  The right-hander escaped a first inning jam on a Dan Gamache double and Caleb Gindl single.  Following a leadoff walk to K.C. Hobson in the second, Carl retired 10 batters in a row before Anderson De La Rosa broke the string with a single to left in the fifth.

Michael Martinez homered for the third straight game, putting Lancaster on the board in the sixth and cutting the High Point lead to one.  With two outs that same inning, Gindl doubled to center, chasing Carl.  Reliever Ashur Tolliver walked Joe Terdoslavich and went to a 3-1 count on Hobson before getting a ground out to end the inning.

Lancaster did not put another runner on base against the High Point bullpen.  Trevor Frank, the third reliever used, recorded his 11^th save.

The Barnstormers take on the Rockers at 11:00 AM on Wednesday.  Lefty Jared Lakind (2-1) will lock horns with his 2018 ‘Stormers bullpen mate, Stephen Johnson (3-3).  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel at 11:00.

NOTES:  Gamache doubled for the first time in eight days but still leads the league with 21…He is on pace to set both the team and league records…Lancaster signed and activated right-hander Christian Meister, who threw a scoreless eighth inning.