Right-Hander Wins 11th, 3-1
The Staten Island FerryHawks let Noah Skirrow off the hook in the first inning.
He was never again seriously threatened.
Skirrow (11-3) squirmed out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning with a pair of strikeouts and went on to pitch six shutout innings in a 3-1 win over the Staten Island FerryHawks in the finale of a three-game weekend series at Penn Medicine Park.
The right-hander allowed a leadoff single to center by Vaun Brown and walked Matt Scheffler and Tyler Dearden with one out. He picked up the second out of the inning, fanning Brandon Martorano, then got former World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval on strikes to end the inning.
No other FerryHawk got to second base in Skirrow’s six innings. He yielded only three singles while walking four and striking out nine.
The Stormers were able to scratch together meager run support. Joe Campagna led off the home fourth with a double that skipped past Brown’s shoestring effort in left. Alex Isola laid a bunt along the third base line. Campagna froze in place off second, but the throw from Ofelky Peralta (0-2) pulled first baseman Tyler Dearden off the bag. Evan Alexander walked to load the bases, and Yeison Coca produced the first run with a sacrifice fly to left. After Slater Schield also walked, Nick Ward brought home a second unearned run with a sac fly to center.
Lancaster’s third run crossed the plate in the sixth. With two outs, Schield singled to right, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Ward knocked Schield home with a base hit to right, his second hit of the afternoon.
The bullpen managed to hold the lead. Cristhian Rodriguez opened the seventh reaching on an error by first baseman Mason Martin. Eddy Diaz lined to second. Schield tried for the double play at first but missed his mark for the inning’s second error, allowing Rodriguez to take second. Brown also lined to Schield. Again, the second baseman attempted to double up the runner and failed. Mark Contreras was able to score the run with a ball cued up the third base side that spun away from Ward’s barehanded attempt.
Dearden and Martorano opened the eighth with singles to left off Scott Engler. The right-hander fanned Sandoval. Kolby Johnson bounced into a force at third, but Ward’s double play throw was wide of target, keeping the inning alive. Rodriguez walked to fill the bases, but Engler got Diaz to swing and miss on a 2-2 offering to escape the threat.
Contreras doubled and Dearden walked against Cody Stashak in the ninth inning, but the right-hander induced a harmless fly ball to center out of Martorano to end the game, earning his fifth save.
Michael McAvene (4-2) will make the start for the Stormers on Tuesday against Hagerstown lefty Anthony Imhoff. Fans may follow the game on Blue Ridge 11 and FloBaseball at 6:40.
NOTES: The two teams combined to leave 63 runners on base in the three-game series…Matt Scheffler of the FerryHawks lost a 20-game hitting streak…Ward had his 30th multiple-hit game of the season…Engler threw his 10th straight scoreless appearance…Skirrow holds the league lead in wins