Lancaster CF Has 3-HR, 9-RBI Day
Niko Hulsizer singlehandedly rewrote the Lancaster Stormers record book on Sunday afternoon.
The center fielder mashed homers on three consecutive at bats, driving in a total of nine runs as Lancaster routed Long Island for the second day in a row, 17-5, at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
Hulsizer slugged a 454’ homer with a man aboard in the fifth inning and added a three-run homer to right center for the lead in the seventh. The Berks County native got another opportunity later that same inning and cranked a towering grand slam onto the hill in left to cap the 10-run inning.
In the process, Hulsizer set the single game franchise record with nine RBI. He became the first right-handed Stormer in history to hit three homers in a game and only the second player to homer twice in the same inning.
Long Island grabbed a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth on a grand slam by Ryan McBroom. Wei-Yin Chen retired two of the first three batters in the bottom of the inning before Hulsizer connected for the first time to cut the lead to 5-4.
Justin Alintoff (2-2) retired the first two batters in the bottom of the sixth. Shawon Dunston, Jr. walked and stole second before Chris Proctor singled to right field to produce the run.
Damon Dues opened the seventh with a double lined to the warning track in right. Isan Diaz dunked a single into shallow left to add a second runner in front of Hulsizer’s second homer. Joseph Carpenter busted his bat on a double down the right field line and went to third on a grounder by Gaige Howard. Dunston kept the inning going with a walk, and Carpenter scored on a ball four wild pitch. After another steal of second, Proctor singled home Dunston again for a 10-5. Lancaster loaded the bases, and Diaz forced one home with a bases loaded walk. Hulsizer launched his slam onto the hillside for a 15-5 lead.
Hulsizer had a chance to add to his records in the eighth but popped out to second with the bases loaded to close out the attack.
James Hoyt (2-3), the fourth of six Lancaster pitchers earned the win. He allowed one hit but faced only three batters in the top of the seventh inning.
Lancaster is off on Monday before opening a three-game series at Hagerstown on Tuesday evening. Oscar De La Cruz (0-2) will make the start for Lancaster. Fans may tune into FloBaseball beginning at 6:25.
NOTES: Blake Gailen was the other Stormer to homer twice in one inning…He did it in September, 2014…The previous RBI record was seven…Lancaster’s relief staff has allowed only three earned runs in 17 innings over the last five games…The Stormers had a 5-1 homestand and will take a one-game lead in the division into Hagerstown.