HALTON SLUGS TWO IN LANCASTER WIN

Outfielder Ties for League Homer Lead in 9-5 Victory

Sean Halton has had some week.

The Barnstormers’ corner outfielder has homered six times in the last seven games, including two on Saturday evening leading the Lancaster Barnstormers to a 9-5 victory over the York Revolution at People’s Bank Park.

With the win, the Barnstormers have taken an 8-5 lead in the 2016 PNC Bank War of the Roses.

Halton connected off Micah Owings with the bases empty in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2. In the ninth, he took an offering from Ricardo Gomez over the 37’ wall in left with Josh Bell at second. The two homers tied him with Southern Maryland’s Michael Snyder for the league lead at 16.

Joel Guzman’s solo homer in the first and a two-out RBI infield single by Travis Witherspoon in the second gave the Revs an early 2-0 lead.

K.C. Hobson got one back with a bases loaded sacrifice fly in the third, and the Barnstormers surged ahead in the fourth. Halton’s one-out belt tied the game. Kevin Ahrens followed with a double to left center, and Trayvon Robinson reached on an infield hit to the right side hole. Charlie Cutler slapped a grounder to first base Andres Perez with Robinson in motion. Perez tried for the force at second and was late, allowing Lancaster to load the bases. Caleb Gindl singled home two with a sharp grounder into right. Jeff Kobernus followed with a single to right to reload the bases, and Hobson, for the second straight inning, scored Cutler with a fly ball.

York rallied with plenty of Lancaster assistance. R.J. Hively walked the first two batters in the fifth, and, after Michael Rockett advanced them with a sacrifice, Hively fired a pitch past Cutler, scoring Salvador Paniagua. Witherspoon also scored when Cutler fired wildly back toward the plate.

Two walks from Evan Meek (1-0) and a base hit flared to right center by Kevin Rivers tied the game in the bottom of the seventh.

However, York returned the generosity in the top of the eighth as shortstop Josh Wilson bobbled Robinson’s leadoff grounder. Cutler sacrificed, and Robinson stole third. Gindl struck out against Scott Rice (4-1), and York went to its bullpen for Gomez to face the right-handed batting Jeff Kobernus. Kobernus won the battle, driving a double off the left field wall for a 6-5 lead.

Halton’s second blast plus an RBI single by Cutler put the game away in the ninth.

The Barnstormers will send right-hander Joey Maher to the hill for his first Atlantic League appearance on Sunday afternoon against left-hander Frank Gailey. Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel beginning at 12:45.

NOTES: The Barnstormers have won back-to-back games for the first time since June 25-28…A win on Sunday afternoon would produce the first series win in the last 15 tries…Gindl extended a hitting streak to 11 games and Kobernus is at 10…Hobson has 23 RBI in 22 games…Overall, the Barnstormers have scored 23 runs on 35 hits the last two nights…The game was delayed for 75 minutes by rain before the first pitch was thrown.