K.C. Hobson belted two more home runs on Tuesday evening, but his long balls were not enough to overcome the Bridgeport Bluefish as Bridgeport took a 6-3 decision in the opener of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
The loss dropped the Barnstormers three games behind Southern Maryland with 13 left to play in the first half.
Tyler Badamo (3-3) kept the Barnstormers off the board through 5 1/3 innings before Hobson connected for his fourth homer in three days on a drive to the gap in right center. His second homer of the night, a liner off the picnic tents in right, drew Lancaster within a run in the seventh inning.
However, Bridgeport was able to secure the win with a varied offense. D’Arby Myers led off with a grounder to third on which Sean Halton had trouble gaining a grip for a throw to first. Brad Bergesen (3-5) walked Luis Hernandez following a stolen base. Jose Cuevas lined to center for the first out, but Sean Burroughs followed with a single sliced down the left field line for a 1-0 lead. Jose Gil singled on a hit-and-run play to knock the second run across.
Bridgeport scored two more off Bergesen in the sixth. Singles by Hernandez, Burroughs and Gil loaded the bases with one out. Daniel Fields ripped a grounder to first that got away from Hobson for an error, allowing the two runs to score.
Fields contributed a two-run homer in the top of the eighth to stretch the lead.
Frank De Jiulio, Jr. pitched a perfect eighth, and David Carpenter allowed only a one-out walk in the ninth for his 22ndsave of the season.
The clubs meet again on Wednesday night at 6:30. Lancaster will send left-hander Nate Reed (0-4) to the hill to face right-hander Rainy Lara (5-2). The game will be carried live on Blue Ridge Cable 11 and the Barnstormers YouTube Channel.
NOTES: Hobson leads the league with 18 homers…He is on pace for 44…Lancaster’s franchise record in 29, set by Ryan Harvey in 2013…Lastings Milledge was 2 for-3 with a walk and is now batting .442 (19-43) in his last 12 games…Cody Hall struck out the side in the ninth and now has 44 strikeouts in 24.2 innings…Bridgeport won for the fourth straight time in the season series.
Lancaster Falls, 6-3, to Bridgeport