LOUD FIRST LEADS STORMERS

Mason Slam, Dunston Blast Pace Lancaster

The Lancaster Stormers are becoming accustomed to huge innings.

After scoring seven in the sixth inning on Saturday and ten in the seventh on Sunday, Lancaster erupted for seven runs in the top of the first inning and went on to defeat the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, 13-7, at Meritus Park on Tuesday evening.

Mason Martin staked the Stormers to a quick 4-0 lead with a grand slam off Parker Markel (2-4) before the first out of the game was recorded.  One out later, Gaige Howard looped a double down the left field line.  Shawon Dunston, Jr. followed with a two-run blast to right and the Stormers were up by six.  A bases loaded walk to Niko Hulsizer led to the Stormers seventh run.

Hagerstown would not give up.  Luis Diaz knocked in two with a single in the bottom of the second.  The teams alternated single runs in the third with Isan Diaz picking up Damon Dues with a single in the top of the inning and Cito Culver greeting Max Green (7-4) with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning.

Dunston keyed a two-run fourth with a triple off the boards in right as the lead was built to 10-3.

However, the Flying Boxcars would pick up a pair in the bottom of the inning around an RBI triple by Welington Dotel.  Green gave way to reliever Adam Wibert in the sixth.  A lost fly ball in left, and a two-run single up the middle proved costly as Hagerstown came within three.  Wibert settled down and got the final two outs to preserve the lead.

While Hagerstown was done for the night, the Stormers picked up some insurance in the next two innings.  Martin drove in one with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.  Chris Proctor hit the longest homer of the night, a two-run rocket to right center in the eighth to cap the scoring.

Oscar De La Cruz (0-2) will square off against lefty Mike Kickham (4-6) at 6:30 on Wednesday.  Fans may tune into FloBaseball at 6:25.

NOTES:  Lancaster has scored 42 runs in the last three games…Damon Dues has reached base 12 times in the three games…Gaige Howard had his second four-hit game of the season…Proctor tied Cristian Santana for the team RBI lead with 47…Santana has been gone for five weeks…Dunston has 20 RBI in his last 16 games.