FENTER, PEN COOL OFF DUCKS

Barnstormers Even Series with 7-1 Win

Gray Fenter made his long-awaited first start for the Lancaster Barnstormers on Wednesday night and pitched his new club to a 7-1 victory over the Long Island Ducks at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

It was the tenth win in the last 11 games for the Barnstormers and moved them three games ahead of Southern Maryland in the North race.  The Blue Crabs were rained out at home against High Point.

Fenter (2-0) had thrown four innings of relief at York last Thursday in his final tuneup for the Wednesday start.  The former Orioles and Giants farmhand worked five innings against Long Island, yielding five hits and two walks while striking out six.  The Ducks only scored in the third inning.  With one out, Phil Caulfield doubled to right.  Lew Ford beat out an infield single, and Caulfield came home to score when Andretty Cordero mishandled Fenter’s throw to first.  Alejandro de Aza followed with a single to center, making the run earned.  Fenter then struck out Deibinson Romero and got Carlos Castro to ground into a force play to end the inning.

Long Island left seven runners on base during Fenter’s stint.

Lancaster tied the game in the fourth on a leadoff homer to right center by the torrid Cordero.  In the fifth, the Barnstormers grabbed the lead to stay.  Chris Proctor greeted Sandy Baez (3-3) with a double to left and took third on a wild pitch.  Baez fanned Jake Hoover, and lefty reliever Tyler Webb struck out Trace Loehr.  Melvin Mercedes ripped a double to left to score Proctor for the lead, and Mercedes scored when Cordero flared a single to right.

A two-run single by Loehr and RBI double by Mercedes pushed the lead to 6-1 in the seventh.  Hoover slammed his fourth homer of the season in the eighth to cap the scoring.

Lancaster used three relievers to maintain the lead.  A line drive double play helped new lefty Cam Booser out of trouble in the sixth.  Josh Graham fired two scoreless innings, and West Tunnell pitched a perfect ninth.

The Barnstormers and Ducks will conclude the three-game series on Thursday at 6:30. Erik Manoah (3-1) will get the start for the Barnstormers against Randy Meisinger (3-2).  Fans may tune into Blue Ridge 11 at 6:30.

NOTES:  The Barnstormers have won all six scheduled nine-inning games against Long Island while the Ducks have taken all five seven-inning contests from Lancaster…The Barnstormers have won 26 of their last 36 games…Jacob Barfield has been hit by a pitch eight times in 13 games after being drilled twice on Wednesday…Cordero is 11-for-13 in his last three games to boost his average to .340…He now has 92 RBI in 97 games…With another RBI, he will tie for the fourth most productive season in franchise history…He is 11 RBI away from Aaron Herr’s team record with 35 games to play…He has driven home at least one run in 21 of the last 29 games for a total of 38 RBI…Melvin Mercedes has reached base in 32 of his last 33 games, a streak that broke officially on an ejection at Staten Island, July 30…Trace Loehr is a perfect 14-for-14 stealing bases.