SEVENTH INNING MAGIC

Stormers Capitalize on Error to Drop Staten Island

The Staten Island FerryHawks gave the Lancaster Stormers an opening in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday evening, and the Stormers jumped all over it.

Lancaster turned a mishandled bunt into a four-run inning to defeat the FerryHawks, 7-3, in the opener of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

With the win, Lancaster remained 1 ½ games ahead of York and three ahead of Long Island in the three-way North race in the second half.

Chris Proctor opened the seventh with a walk and stole second with Trace Loehr at the plate.  Loehr then dropped a bunt to the third base side of the mound.  Left-hander Brian Warzek (2-4) got the ball but bobbled it, missing a chance for an out anywhere.  Warzek splintered Damon Dues’ bat, but the Lancaster shortstop managed to place a grounder through the right side of the infield for an RBI single and a 4-3 lead.  Gaige Howard forced Dues at second for the first out.  At that point, the FerryHawks went to right-hander Josh James, who yielded a ground rule double to left by Mason Martin.  Chad Sedio drove in the final two runs of the inning with a soft line drive single that fell in front of right fielder Kolbi Johnson.

Lancaster survived a scary eighth inning when A.J. Alexy walked two and hit a batter with one out.  The right-hander settled down to get Jackson Loftin to pop out to short stop and Roldani Baldwin to fan to end the threat.  Phil Diehl worked a three-batter ninth inning.

Matt Swarmer (3-2) went the first seven for Lancaster.  The right-hander yielded three runs on six singles.  Four of the hits came in succession to open the top of the fourth.  Johnson drove in one run with a single to left.  Loftin tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center, and Nate Scantlin produced a temporary lead with a force play grounder.

Loehr drove in Lancaster’s first three runs on a pair of singles off the right field wall.

Noah Bremer (8-5) is slated to start for the Stormers on Saturday against lefty Anthony DeFabbia (1-2).  Fireworks will follow the game.  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, beginning at 6:40.

NOTES:  Martin’s double extended his hitting streak to 16 games…He has driven home 24 runs in the streak…Swarmer turned in his fifth quality start and threw 104 pitches, a season high…Every Lancaster starter, other than by rain or design, has gone at least five innings since July 20…Loehr had his third three-RBI game of the season.