RELAY SAVES THE GAME

Lancaster Returns to First with 6-5 Lead

Nine-three-five.

Those three digits returned the Lancaster Stormers to first place in the North Division following a narrow escape with a 6-5 win over the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars Wednesday evening at Meritus Park.

That was the combination to retire Demetrius Moorer with the tying run at third base in the bottom of the ninth, arguably keeping the Stormers from extra innings or a walkoff loss in the ninth.

The win, combined with York’s 9-1 loss at Lexington, moved Lancaster one-half game ahead of the Revs in the North race.  Long Island also lost and trails by three.

On the strength of a three-run rally in the top of the eighth, the Stormers carried a 6-4 lead into the ninth inning with Scott Engler trying to wrap up the game.  Engler retired Ozzie Abreu on a grounder to short, but Tyler Hill, just re-signed by the Flying Boxcars on Wednesday, belted a long double off the wall in right center.  Moorer took a 1-2 pitch into the right field corner, scoring Hill.  Gaige Howard fished the ball out of the corner, made a perfect throw to first baseman Mason Martin, whose throw to Trace Loehr cut down Moorer at third.  Andrew Moritz flied to center to end the night.

Lancaster’s rally in the eighth came against Yoelvin Silven (0-1), who was at the epicenter of the brawl between the two clubs at Clipper Magazine Stadium last Thursday.  With one out, Trace Loehr grounded a single through the right side.  He raced home on Damon Dues’ triple to deep right center.  Howard staked Lancaster to a 5-4 lead with a single up the middle.  Isan Diaz followed with a double to right center to provide the necessary insurance run.

The Stormers took an early 3-0 lead off starter Domenic Picone.  Diaz produced the first run with a sacrifice fly in the opening inning.  Chad Sedio knocked home the next two with a two-run single off the right field wall in the top of the third.

Max Green retired nine straight until Cito Culver reached him for a one-out solo homer in the fourth.  Welington Dotel also left the yard to follow, cutting the Lancaster lead to 3-2.  Hill doubled inside the bag at third with one out in the fourth and raced home on a two-out single to right by Moritz.  Moritz went to second on an error and scored on Cito Culver’s base hit to right.  Culver was later thrown out at the plate on a pitch that eluded Chris Proctor for the final out in the fifth.

Steffon Moore (1-1, 2-3) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win.

Matt Swarmer (3-2) will make the start for the Stormers on Thursday evening against right-hander Marvin Gorgas (3-7).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  Diaz was 2-for-3, extending his hitting streak to 10 games…Howard had his 35^th multi-hit game of the season…Green failed to win his 10^th of the season on his fourth attempt to do so…Lancaster amassed 14 hits…The Stormers have not gone down 1-2-3 in any inning in the series.