MARKEY TWIRLS GEM IN HOME OPENER

Stormers Ground Flying Boxcars, 6-1

Brad Markey and a pair of relievers combined on a five-hitter Tuesday evening as the Lancaster Stormers downed the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in front of a sellout crowd of 6,324 at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The performance on the field followed an opening ceremony in which members of the 2023 championship squad received their rings and the club paid tribute to the past as it enters the 20^th season.  All three championship managers, Tommy Herr, Butch Hobson, Ross Peeples were on the field for ceremonial first pitches before the home schedule got underway.

Hagerstown’s Parker Markel (1-1) and Markey (1-1) matched scoreless baseball for 4 ½ innings before Lancaster finally dented the scoreboard.  Chad Sedio was hit by a pitch, and Jack Conley singled through the left side to open the Stormer fifth.  Trace Loehr advanced the runners with a bunt before Shawon Dunston, Jr. walked to fill the vacancy.  Isan Diaz lobbed a fly ball toward left center, and Sedio was able to beat Magneirus Sierra’s strong throw to the plate for the game’s first run.

Markey would protect the slim lead through the sixth inning.  The native of Maryland finished the night having yielded three hits and no walks while fanning four.

Joseph Carpenter doubled inside the third base bag to drive home a run off Rafael Kelly in the second as the Stormers built the lead to 2-0.  Lancaster salted the game away with a four-run seventh, two of the runs scoring on Gaige Howard’s long double to left.

Max Green struck out the side in the seventh.  Noah Bremer allowed an unearned run on a pair of singles and a throwing error in the top of the ninth, his second inning of work.

The Stormers will send left-hander Caleb Baragar (0-0) to the mound on Wednesday against Hagerstown’s Joe Palumbo (0-0).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, starting at 6:40.

NOTES:  Diaz and Cristian Santana have hit safely in all five games of the season…Santana leads the club with 10 hits and seven RBI…Howard’s double was his third…The Stormers had 20 different baserunners in the game…Outfield Niko Hulsizer’s contracted was purchased by a Mexican League team earlier in the day, making him the first member of the team to depart this season…Chris Proctor took his spot in left field.