Four Solo Shots Beat Staten Island
The Lancaster Stormers hit four solo home runs out of Clipper Magazine Stadium on Tuesday evening to produce a 6-5 win over the Staten Island FerryHawks in the opener of a three-game series.
Gaige Howard, Shawon Dunston, Jr. Chris Proctor and Niko Hulsizer all connected for the Stormers in the win.
Lancaster’s first two runs came without the benefit of a homer. Hulsizer singled home Damon Dues in the bottom of the first to neutralize Luis Castro’s RBI single in the top of the inning. Later in the first, Dunston staked the Stormers to a 2-1 lead against Mike Shawaryn (5-4) with a force play grounder to second.
Howard’s long ball to right, his second of the season, pushed the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
Meanwhile, Brady Tedesco retired 13 Hawks batters in succession before yielding consecutive two-out singles in the sixth and departing the game. Jackson Rees struck out Castro to end that threat before running into trouble of his own in the seventh.
Rees walked Joe Dunand to start the inning. Ben Norman roped a ball over Howard’s head in right, putting the tying runs in scoring position. Trace Loehr smothered a hot grounder down the third base line by Roldani Baldwin, turning it into an out as a run scored. Following a walk to Jeison Guzman, Rees was replaced by Phil Diehl (2-1). Diehl struck out Jordan Howard for the second out, but a wild pitch allowed Norman to score the tying run before the lefty also fanned Kolby Johnson to end the inning.
The tie did not last long. Dunston opened the bottom of the seventh with a drive off the right field canopy. Two batters later, Proctor deposited a pitch from Shawaryn on the other side of the fence in right center.
Hulsizer crushed a 420’ shot to dead center to lead off the eighth, stretching the lead to 6-3.
Stephen Nogosek came on for the ninth and yielded a leadoff single to Dunand and a 447’ blast to right center before retiring the side in order for his fourth save.
Oscar De La Cruz (0-2) will make the start for Lancaster on Wednesday against right-hander Nate Roe (1-1). Fans may tune into Blue Ridge 11 or FloBaseball, beginning at 6:40.
NOTES: Proctor’s homer was his first out of Clipper Magazine Stadium this season…Tedesco did not walk a batter in his 5 2/3 innings…Loehr made two stops down the line, two digs charging short hops and triggered an eighth inning double play after handling a smash off the bat of Pablo Sandoval…Dunston has 22 RBI in his last 21 games.
© 2024, Lancaster Stormers. All Rights Reserved.
