Gailen Picks Up 500th Barnstormers Hit in 8-0 Win
The Lancaster Barnstormers put together an impressive all around effort on Friday evening, capturing the opener in the 2017 War of the Roses, 8-0, over the York Revolution.
During the game, Lancaster designated hitter Blake Gailen singled to left center field for his 500th hit in a Barnstormers uniform.
With the win, the Barnstormers now enjoy a three-game lead in the Freedom Division over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.
Jarret Leverett (3-0) was stellar on Friday evening, checking the Revolution on four singles and one walk over six innings. He faced two runners as far as second base. In the first, Alonzo Harris singled to center to open the game and advanced to second on a bunt by Angel Franco. Isaias Tejeda lined to first baseman K.C. Hobson, who fired to shortstop Rico Noel to double Harris off second base.
R.J. Hively, John Anderson and Kaohi Downing completed the shutout for the Barnstormers.
Tejeda and Travis Witherspoon reached on singles in the fourth, but center fielder Darian Sandford tracked down Ryan Dent’s deep drive to the alley in right center to keep York off the board.
Meanwhile, both the speed and the power got to the York pitching staff. In the opening inning, Sandford singled to left off Frank Gailey (5-3), and Noel followed with a walk. The twin speedsters pulled off a double steal. Sandford scored on a ground out to second by Caleb Gindl. Noel followed on a soft liner to right by Hobson for a 2-0 lead.
Trayvon Robinson opened the second with a line drive homer off the boards in left, and Hobson got the seventh underway with a shot to right.
Lancaster also scored two runs on a triple, three straight walks and a ground out in the fourth and two more in a quirky sixth inning that involved three steals, one by Robinson and two by Sandford, as well as an RBI double by Noel.
The two clubs meet again on Saturday. Lancaster sends right-hander Brad Bergesen (3-2) to the mound against right-hander Victor Mateo (0-4). The night will feature an appearance by Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey. Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:15.
NOTES: With his three stolen bases on Friday night, Sandford has a league leading 31 for the season and is on pace for 106…Every Lancaster starter except for catcher Anderson De La Rosa collected at least one hit…The shutout was the third thrown by the Barnstormers this season…Lancaster is 6-1 when Leverett starts…Right-hander Elih Villanueva was signed by the Boston Red Sox during the game and is headed to Class AA Portland…He leaves Lancaster with a 5-1 record.