stormers News

Sluggers Rule in Split!

Garner, Snyder Lead Respective Teams to Win

Sometimes baseball is played in small ways.

That was not the case on Saturday evening as Cole Garner homered, doubled and drove in four runs in a 5-4 Lancaster win in the opener of a doubleheader at Regency Furniture Stadium, and Michael Snyder answered with a pair of solo shots in the nightcap as the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs gained a split with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap.

Garner gave the Barnstormers a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the opener with a ground rule double that scored Anderson De La Rosa and Rico Noel.

Lancaster stretched that lead in the fifth.  Noel led off with a double inside the third base bag and scored when Trayvon Robinson drilled a double to the gap in left center.  After a strikeout, Garner crushed an offering from Daryl Thompson (5-6) over the deck in left to give the Barnstormers a 5-0 advantage.

Southern Maryland got one run back against Brad Bergesen (7-6) in the fifth as L.J. Hoes doubled into the right field corner with two outs, getting Jose Lozada home from first.  Bergesen yielded a pair of singles in the sixth but came back out for the seventh.

Patrick Palmeiro doubled to right center, and Lozada followed with a double down the right field line.  Edwin Garcia singled up the middle, but Garrett Weber saved the ball from center.  The Barnstormers got Lozada in a rundown but failed to get the out with Garcia going to second on the play.

Andrew Carter entered from the bullpen and retired the side in order as the Barnstormers allowed runs to score on consecutive outs.  Carter was awarded his second save.

Snyder reached Tommy Shirley (0-3) for the home runs in the nightcap.  He yanked the first pitch of the second inning over the corner of the picnic deck in left center for his 19th home run of the season.  Sean Halton countered with a long homer to left off Gaby Hernandez in the fourth, but Snyder answered right away with his second homer of the night, a line drive just to the right of the batters’ eye, breaking the tie.

Hernandez (8-1) was stingy otherwise.  He checked the Barnstormers on four singles and a hit batter over his six innings of work.  Cody Eppley survived a two-out walk to Lastings Milledge in the seventh for his 25th save.

Shirley went the distance for Lancaster, allowing seven hits.  He walked one and struck out six.

Bryan Evans (6-3) will take the mound for the Barnstormers in the series finale on Sunday.  He will be opposed by Drew Hayes (5-4).  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel at 1:45.

NOTES:  Nate Coronado went 0-for-3 in the nightcap, losing his 10-game road hitting streak…The Barnstormers are currently two games ahead of York in the second half race…The makeup game to decide the first half has been moved to August 14.