MARTINSON BLASTS KNOCK OFF ‘STORMERS

Sugar Land second baseman Jason Martinson slammed a pair of three-run home runs, leading the Skeeters to a 9-3 win over the Lancaster Barnstormers Wednesday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Martinson’s first blast, a three-run homer to right, broke the game open in the top of the seventh, giving the Skeeters a 6-1 advantage.

Lancaster scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to close within shouting distance before Martinson connected again, taking Garrett Granitz onto the left field hill for the 9-3 advantage.

The game was a pitchers’ duel between Buddy Baumann and Dallas Beeler in the early innings.

Sugar Land finally broke the ice in the top of the fourth against Baumann (2-4).  The left-hander walked consecutive hitters with one out.  Chris Colabello struck out for the second out before Anthony Giansanti pummeled a two-run double over Darian Sandford’s head, the first Skeeters hit of the night.

Lancaster finally countered against Beeler (3-2) in the sixth inning.  After Willy Taveras made a diving catch to rob Josh Bell of a leadoff hit, Greg Golson and Anderson De La Rosa both singled.  The two runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Zach Shank brought Golson home with a grounder to short.

Golson homered in the seventh, and Terdoslavich picked up Lancaster’s third run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth with Taveras, banging into the chain link fence in right center making another great defensive play.

Along with Golson, Darian Sandford and Michael Martinez each picked up two hits for Lancaster.  Zach Borenstein singled and had an RBI double for the Skeeters.

Jean Machi retired the final four Barnstormers for his first save of the season.

The rubber game of the series comes up on Thursday evening with lefty John Anderson (3-1) going against right-hander Luke Irvine (1-1).  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel or Blue Ridge 11, beginning at 7:00.

NOTES:  Martinez extended his hitting streak to nine…Baumann dealt his fifth quality start…Lancaster’s pitching has walked 16 batters in the series…Martinson was the fourth Skeeter to have a multi-homer game, and second to drive in six runs, at Clipper Magazine Stadium in five contests this season…Terdoslavich is 22-for-47 (.468) with 13 RBI on the last two homestands…Dan Gamache had the night off after playing every inning in the first 34 games of the season.