EARLY SURGE CARRIES LANCASTER

Stormers Lead Back to Four Games

Lancaster launched four homers in the first five innings, building a 12-0 lead, then had to hold on for a 13-7 win over the Long Island Ducks in the opener of a three-game series.

With the win, the Stormers return to a four-game lead over both the Ducks and the York Revolution, who were idle.  The magic number with regards to both is eight for the Stormers with 11 to play.

Gaige Howard launched the first Lancaster homer off Chris Ellis (1-1) in the top of the first.  After Trace Loehr stretched the lead to 3-0 with a two-run double in the second, Isan Diaz launched a leadoff homer in the third for a 4-0 advantage.

Lancaster’s biggest inning was the fourth.  Joseph Carpenter was hit by a pitch and scored on a one-out double by Loehr.  Damon Dues dropped a single into shallow center for a 6-0 edge, took second on the throw and stole third.  Second baseman Alexis Pantoja fielded Howard’s grounder to his right and fired home, barely missing Dues as the third run of the inning scored.  Diaz tripled to left center, and Mason Martin crushed a homer to dead center as the bulge grew to 10-0.

Chris Proctor hit the final of the four homers, a two-run blast to right center off Rolando Casihis in the fifth.

Taylor Kohlwey drilled a two-run homer to right in the sixth to break up a shutout bid by Brady Tedesco, but the lefty settled back down, and Joe Stewart singled home a run in the bottom of the inning for a 13-2 edge.

Lancaster tried to force Tedesco through the seventh but had to make a change after the southpaw loaded the bases with one out.  Leobaldo Cabrera picked up a four-pitch walk from reliever Kyle Johnson to force home one run.  Kohlwey ripped a two-run double to the gap in right center to cut the lead to 13-5.  Another run scored on an infield out.

Yonny Hernandez belted a long RBI double in the eighth to cut the lead to 13-7.  The Ducks loaded the bags off newcomer Michael McAvene in the ninth.  Scott Kelly struck a grounder on the left side, and Dues saved Loehr’s throw to get the final out on a force play.

Noah Bremer (9-6) will make the start for Lancaster on Wednesday.  The Ducks will counter with right-hander Nick Tropeano (3-1).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, starting at 6:40.

NOTES:  Martin has 11 homers in 11 games and nine in the last eight games against Long Island…Carpenter lost a nine-game hitting streak…Diaz has 49 RBI in 42 games…Stewart is batting .379 (22-58) in his last 14 games…The Stormers are 13-15 against Long Island for the year.