Lancaster Survives Scare, Gains Split

Barnstormers Hold Off York, 4-3

 The Lancaster Barnstormers gained a split of a four-game series with the York Revolution on Monday evening, but it was hardly easy.

Lancaster scored four runs in the bottom of the third but had to fend off a late inning charge by the Revs for a narrow, 4-3 victory, to take a 2 ½ game lead over Southern Maryland in the Freedom Division.

 Vladimir Frias opened the Lancaster third with a double on a fly ball to the right field corner which Jared Mitchell could not quite squeeze.  Anderson De La Rosa smashed a single past second baseman Angel Franco to drive in the game’s first run off Logan Williamson (1-4), and Darian Sandford walked.  Rico Noel drove a double toward the left field line for a 2-0 lead.  Caleb Gindl produced the next run with a sacrifice fly to center.  After K.C. Hobson was hit by a pitch, Sean Halton also banged a sac fly to center to give the ‘Stormers a 4-0 advantage.

 That was all Lancaster could muster, collecting only four hits over the rest of the game.

 Bryan Evans (2-2) carried a five-hit shutout into the top of the seventh.  He retired Ryan Dent for the first out before walking Derrick Robinson, his first base on balls of the night.  Mitchell slugged a two-run homer onto the right field deck to cut the lead in half.

 Evans finished the seventh, ending the night with eight strikeouts.  Kevin Munson pitched a perfect eighth inning, but the game got very interesting off Anthony Carter in the ninth.

 With one out, Robinson beat out a chopper to shortstop.  Mitchell was retired on a routine fly to left for the second out, but Carlos Triunfel kept the rally alive with a single up the middle.

 Former Barnstormer Travis Witherspoon battled back from an 0-2 count, at one point, lining a ball barely foul into the Lancaster bullpen.  He hit a chopper through the hole on the left side.  Frias got a piece of the ball, slowing it down.  Robinson scored, Triunfel carried the tying run to third, and Witherspoon legged out a double.

 Angel Franco grounded the next pitch to K.C. Hobson for the final out as Carter earned his 10^th save.

 Sugar Land comes to town on Tuesday night to open a three-game series.  The Barnstormers will send lefty Rommie Lewis (2-4) to the hill against right-hander Bobby Blevins (4-1).  Fans may tune into Blue Ridge Cable 11 or the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:30.

 NOTES:  Carter converted his ninth straight save…Evans threw his second quality start of the season…He beat York for the first time in three seasons…Lancaster is 8-1-3 in its last 12 series…The Barnstormers played their fifth consecutive nine-inning game in under three hours, a season high…Lancaster struck out only 11 times in the last three games but batted only .234 as a team in that stretch.