New Britain Takes Series with 9-1 Matinee Win
Three straight doubles in the bottom of the third inning were all the New Britain Bees needed to take out the Lancaster Barnstormers in the finale of a three-game series.
Those doubles produced four runs, and the Bees never looked back, drubbing the Barnstormers, 9-1, in the rubber game between the two clubs.
Steve Carrillo opened the third with a single off J.D. Martin (1-2) and Brandon Chaves followed with a base hit through the right side. Jovan Rosa advanced Carrillo with a deep fly to left center, giving the Bees runners at first and third. Craig Maddox ripped a two-base hit beyond right field Sean Halton for a 2-1 advantage. Jonathan Roof followed with a two-run double down the left field line, and Kevin Rivers followed Maddox to the wall in right as the Bees built a 5-1 lead.
Brian Dupra (4-0) yielded an RBI double to Kevin Ahrens in the top of the third but cruised after being handed the four-run lead. The right-hander yielded five hits and one run over eight innings while walking one and striking out nine. He retired 12 Barnstormers in a row following a one-out single by Mike McDade in the top of the fourth.
Jon Jones capped the scoring with a pair of homer. The Bees center fielder reached Martin for a three-run blast to left in the fifth inning and greeted Mark Lamm with a leadoff homer in the seventh.
The Barnstormers open a seven-game homestand on Friday evening with the first of four meetings against the Sugar Land Skeeters. Terry Doyle (0-2) will make the start for Lancaster against lefty Roy Merritt. Gates will open at 4:00 for the Salute to Veterans Ceremony. Fans may tune into Blue Ridge Cable 11 or the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 7:00.
NOTES: Logan Schafer extended a hitting streak to six with a bunt single starting off the game…Halton lost a six-game streak…Jones became only the second opposing player to homer twice in a game since 2014…They were his first two homers of the season…Mike Lee extended his streak of scoreless innings to 8.1 with a pair of shutout innings…The bullpen had to cover 19 2/3 innings in the series…The Barnstormers went 2-3 on the road trip.