Hobson Slam Ices York

Ninth Inning Blast Caps 7-2 Victory

For the second time in three days, K.C. Hobson delivered a late inning grand slam.

His blast in the top of the ninth Saturday night sealed a 7-2 victory for the Lancaster Barnstormers over the York Revolution at People’s Bank Park.

The win kept Lancaster 2 ½ games ahead of Southern Maryland in the Freedom Division chase.

Rico Noel and Sean Halton walked around Blake Gailen’s fourth single of the night to load the bases against one-time Barnstormer Ricardo Gomez. Hobson stepped in looking to do damage after the Barnstormers had misfired in putting additional runs on the board in seven straight innings despite a total of 13 men reaching base over that span.

The Lancaster first baseman drove a towering fly ball down the right field line that stayed barely fair two nights after he belted a game winning slam off Sugar Land’s Dustin Richardson.

Lancaster grabbed the early lead off Logan Williamson (1-5). With one out in the first, Noel battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk. Gailen singled to right, sending Noel to third. Halton followed with a long double to right center that hopped the wall to keep Gailen at third. Hobson drove in the second run of the inning with a grounder to second. After a walk to Lastings Milledge, Trayvon Robinson singled to right for a 3-0 lead.

Bryan Evans (3-2) surrendered a leadoff homer to Michael Burgess in the second, but otherwise kept York in check for the first six innings. The right-hander allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out seven in his second consecutive win against the Revs.

Daniel Moskos worked a perfect eighth inning, and Scott Shuman retired the first two in the eighth. Alonzo Harris kept the inning alive with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Isaias Tejeda singled into left, and Harris beat Milledge’s throw home to cut the lead to 3-2. Shuman rebounded striking out Burgess swinging on a high fastball to end the inning.

Rommie Lewis (2-5) will make the start for the Barnstormers on Sunday afternoon against right-hander Steve Janas (1-3). Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, starting at 12:45.

NOTES: Hobson now has 37 homers and 110 RBI for the Barnstormers in a season plus a week…He is in a three-way tie for the league home run lead and caught Jerry Sands (formerly of Somerset) for the top spot in RBI…Evans has allowed three runs in two starts against York, all on homers…Each Barnstormer in the lineup reached base at least twice…York turned five double plays in the game and threw out two runners trying to steal.