LANCASTER FALLS IN SERIES FINALE

Caleb Gindl had a big night.  High Point’s lineup had a bigger one.

The Barnstormers right fielder went 3-for-4 with a home run, but it was not nearly enough as the Rockers overwhelmed Lancaster, 9-3, in the finale of a four-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

With the loss, the Barnstormers fell 7 ½ games behind the York Revolution in the second half race in the Freedom Division.  High Point climbed to within one-half game of the Long Island Ducks on the Liberty side while maintaining a four-game lead in the wild card chase.

Gindl clocked a long home run off Dominic DeMasi (7-2) to open the game for the Barnstormers, driving a 3-0 pitch from the High Point right-hander beyond the tents in right field for the quick 1-0 lead.  He would be involved in both other Lancaster runs, scoring on an Andrew Aplin sacrifice fly in the third and singling home Darian Sandford with a base hit into right center in the seventh inning.  In the process, Gindl extended his current on-base streak to 19 games and his hitting streak to nine in a row.

High Point took advantage of Lancaster’s only defensive misplay of the night to score its first run.  After Richie Shaffer was kept alive on a dropped foul popup, he drew a leadoff walk from Jared Lakind (6-6).  Myles Schroder reached on an infield single, and Michael Russell tied the game with a base hit to right.

The Rockers continued the momentum into the third.  Stephen Cardullo drilled a double into the left field corner, and Jared Mitchell drew a walk.  Hector Gomez snapped the 1-1 tie with a single to left center, bringing Cardullo home  Lakind struck out Quincy Latimore and nabbed Mitchell trying to steal third, but an RBI single up the middle by Viosergy Rosa and double off the right field wall by Schroder increased the High Point lead to 4-1.

Home runs by Matthew Jones and Rosa and a two-run double by Gomez padded the lead for the Rockers, who have won 14 of 18 meetings against the Barnstormers on the season.

DeMasi worked seven innings, allowing nine hits and three runs.  The right-hander walked none and struck out six in beating the Barnstormers for the third straight time.

Lancaster opens a three-game series against the Sugar Land Skeeters on Friday evening.  John Anderson (10-6) will take the hill for the Barnstormers.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:45.

NOTES:  Gindl has reached base on 13 of his last 17 plate appearances…He is hitting .424 with five homers and 15 RBI against High Point on the season…Devon Torrence was 2-for-3 to improve his average against the Rockers to .471 (16-for-34)…Aplin lost a hitting streak at 10 games…Sandford stole his 55^th base of the season and his 182^nd in the Atlantic League.