Lancaster Rally Overcome in Ninth
The Lancaster Stormers scored six unanswered runs at Lexington’s Legends Field early Wednesday morning to grab an 8-7 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, the rally was turned aside.
Following Mikey Kane being hit by a 3-2 pitch from Billy Sullivan (0-1), Ryan McCarthy launched an opposite field home run to give the Lexington Legends a 9-8 victory, their second straight, late-inning win over the Stormers in the current series.
Lexington had appeared to pull away with a four-run fifth inning off Luke Albright. Jackson Feltner chased Albright with a two-run double to right center. Zach Mizrahi’s second walk forced home a third run, and Feltner scored on a passed ball for a 7-2 edge.
Evan Ulrich lofted his first professional homer over the boards in left to cut the lead to 7-4 in the top of the sixth, and Joe DeLuca’s RBI ground out in the seventh made it 7-5.
Tyler Robertson dunked a single into shallow center to open the eighth. He stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Rayne Supple fanned two straight, but his second wild pitch of the inning allowed Robertson to score. Jalen Battles dropped a triple down the right field line, forcing Supple out of the game. Carson Lambert (1-0) walked Jeremy Arocho, who stole second. Jake Thompson lined a 1-2 pitch into right for a two-run single to give the Stormers their lone lead of the game.
Lambert struck out the remaining four batters he faced.
Lexington rapped out only six hits in the win, but Lancaster pitching walked 11 and hit two batters in the loss.
The Stormers will send lefty Quinton Martinez (1-1) to the hill on Thursday night against right-hander Tyler Guilfoil (0-0). Fans may follow the action on HomeTeam Network/Dugout TV, beginning at 6:35.
NOTES: Thompson has hit safely in seven straight, going 12-for-24…Battles had a double and a triple, his first two extra-base hits of the season…Mizrahi, A.J. Alexy and Andrew Schultz all pitched scoreless baseball despite allowing six walks combined…Lexington stole six bases.