Long Island Avoids Sweep with 6-2 Matinee Win
Angelo Songco homered, doubled and drove in four runs to back a stellar performance by former Cleveland Indians left-hander Rafael Perez on Sunday afternoon as the Long Island Ducks defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers, 6-2, at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
With the loss, the Barnstormers fell to 1 ½ games behind the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Freedom Division race.
Jarret Leverett (4-2) retired 10 of the first 11 Ducks he faced on Sunday before Lew Ford beat out a slow roller up the third base line. Songco followed with a long double into the left center field gap to produce the game’s first run. Alex Burg reached on a duplicate of the Ford base hit. Jordan Pacheco drove in two with a double into the left field corner for a 3-0 Long Island lead.
Elmer Reyes and Ford opened the sixth with singles to left. Both crossed when the lefty batting Songco slugged his club leading 14th homer of the season over the tents in right field as the Ducks took the commanding 6-0 edge.
Meanwhile Perez (5-2) had Lancaster pretty well stumped for the first six innings. Over that period, the ‘Stormers managed three hits, all singles, and a walk with no runner getting as far as second base.
The Barnstormers, though, have owned the seventh inning all year, and Sunday was no exception. Lastings Milledge beat out an infield single behind second base, went to second on a balk, and scored on K.C. Hobson’s league leading 16th long ball of the season. Sean Halton followed with the second of his three hits on the day. Nothing further developed, despite good swings, as Garrett Weber lofted a fly ball to deep center, and Perez snagged a vicious line drive back to the mound by Trayvon Robinson. That line drive was turned into a double play to end the inning.
Long Island’s bullpen retired six of eight batters over the final two innings to pin down the victory.
The Barnstormers are off on Monday before opening a three-game series against Bridgeport on Tuesday. Right-hander Brad Bergesen (3-4) will make the start for the Barnstormers against right-hander Tyler Badamo (2-3). The game will be aired live on Blue Ridge Cable 11, beginning at 6:30.
NOTES: Hobson has hit five homers against the Ducks…His homer was his 40th as a Barnstormer in a season plus two weeks…Milledge went 2-for-4 to extend a hitting streak to six games…He is 17-for-40 (.425) in his last 11 games…Tyler Clark lost a six-game streak.