GENOMES EDGE PAST ‘STORMERS IN FINALE

Lancaster Sets LOB High for Season

Fourteen times the Lancaster Barnstormers stepped to the plate early Thursday with the lead runner in scoring position.

Fourteen times that run did not score.

The Wild Health Genomes (Lexington, KY) used a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie and sidle past the host Barnstormers, 2-1, in the rubber game of a three-game series.

Wild Health’s offense was scant.  The Genomes picked up only three hits in seven innings off starter Nile Ball.  One of those, a two-out single by shortstop Clayton Mehlbauer gave Wild Health a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

Lancaster managed to balance that in the home half of the frame.  LeDarious Clark singled with one out and went to second on a wild throw.  Colton Shaver followed with a double off the right field wall, just above the reach of Felix Pie, tying the game.  Shaver took third on the throw home, but, as was the theme of the afternoon, got stranded there.

In the eighth, Cleuluis Rondon doubled inside the left field line against Tyler Suellentrop (2-2).  A passed ball on the first pitch to Demetrius Moorer allowed Rondon to scoot to third, and he scored when Moorer took Clark back to the warning track in right.

The remainder of the afternoon was marked by the Barnstormers’ frustrations in scoring runs.  They left the bases loaded in both the first and third innings.  In the fourth, they had runners at second and third with two outs.  Andretty Cordero doubled to start the seventh off Luis Guzman (2-0) and never advanced.

Once again, the Barnstormers loaded the bases in the eighth, only to have Cordero foul out on the first pitch from Diego Moreno.

In the ninth, the Barnstormers kept the game alive with a two-out single by Trayvon Robinson, the eighth Lancaster hit of the day, before Moreno struck out Trace Loehr for the final out and his sixth save.

The Barnstormers play their next 13 games on the road.  That trip will start with a 6:35 matchup against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Friday.  Brooks Hall (0-0) will be on the hill for Lancaster against the Atlantic League’s all-time top winner, Daryl Thompson.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel at 6:30.

NOTES:  Once again, Lancaster stole four bases in the game…Clark grabbed his 20^th of the year…The 15 left on base set a season high by two…Shaver has six doubles in five games, and 10 in the last 12 to tie for the club lead with 15.ReplyReply allForward