GREEN STEERS LANCASTER TO SWEEP

Lefty Hurls Shutout Into Seventh

Max Green’s conversion into a starting pitcher has been a benefit to the Lancaster Stormers as well as the left-hander personally.

Green (6-4) fired 6 2/3 shutout innings early Thursday, pitching the Stormers to a 5-3 win and a series sweep over the Staten Island FerryHawks at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The left-hander yielded four singles and two walks over his stint while striking out four.  Staten Island only managed to have two runners aboard at the same time against the former Detroit farmhand in the first inning and never advanced a runner to third during Green’s tenure.

Isan Diaz provided early support with a two-run homer off Taylor Lepard (0-2, 0-5) in the bottom of the first inning.  Lepard settled down, using double plays over the next three innings to keep the deficit at 2-0 until Lancaster reached William Kirwan for three runs in the home seventh.

Shawon Dunston, Jr. lofted a fly ball to left field leading off the inning.  Ben Norman and shortstop Jeison Guzman nearly collided and the ball fell between them for a leadoff double.  Gaige Howard followed with an RBI single up the middle.  Chris Proctor walked, adding a second runner.  The inning stalled momentarily when Trace Loehr lined out to right field for the first out.  A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third.  Kyle Kasser picked up Howard with a single to right.  Niko Hulsizer made it 5-0 with a single to the hole at shortstop.

Newcomer Adam Wibert held the lead through the eighth inning, retiring four of five batters.

Staten Island scored its three runs in the ninth.  Luis Castro opened the inning with a line drive off the leg of right-hander James Hoyt, in his first appearance off the injured list.  Hoyt had to be carted off the field and was replaced by Carsie Walker.  Joe Dunand ripped a single into left, and Ben Norman cracked his second ninth-inning homer of the series, slicing the lead to 5-3. 

Following a single to center by Jimmy Paredes, Walker was replaced by closer Stephen Nogosek, who set down three straight batters for his third straight save against Staten Island and fourth in the last five games.

Lancaster will open a three-game series against the Long Island Ducks on Friday evening.  Noah Bremer (5-3) will make the start for the Stormers against right-hander Daniel Corcino (3-4).  Fans may tune into the game on FloBaseball, beginning at 6:40.

NOTES:  With two hits, Dunston lifted his average over .300 on the season…Howard replaced Dean Miller in right field in the third inning…Lancaster is 8-1 with Green as the starter…Mason Martin had a pair of singles, lifting his average back over .400 (.405)…Wibert, who was in the MLB Draft League in 2023, struck out Roldani Baldwin and Guzman, his first two Atlantic League hitters.