STORMERS DROP FINALE AT STATEN ISLAND

For the third consecutive game, the Lancaster Stormers battled back from an early deficit to give themselves a chance to win.

On Thursday night, the momentum burned out.

Staten Island scored four runs in a messy bottom of the seventh inning to take the series finale from the Stormers, 9-3, cutting Lancaster’s second half lead over York back to a game.

Jackson Rees (4-1) opened the seventh with a four-pitch walk to Kyle Dernedde and followed with another to Kolbi Johnson.  Nate Scantlin’s grounder to the right of second baseman Damon Dues was fumbled for an error loading the bases.  Luis Castro stroked a grounder to shortstop Isan Diaz.  In his haste to start a double play, Diaz made a  wild throw, allowing two runs to score.  Steffon Moore took over on the mound and surrendered a two-run single to Ben Norman to cap the four-run inning.

Scantlin added a two-run single off Ryan Williamson in the eighth to ice the game.

Brady Tedesco went the first six for Lancaster, allowing three runs on five hits.  All three runs were driven home by Pablo Sandoval, two on a double in the first, the other on a single in the third.  The lefty walked one and fanned six in throwing his second quality start of the season.

Lancaster was able to bounce back.  Dues led off the fourth with a triple to left center and scored on a wild pitch by Mike Shawaryn.  One out later, Diaz crushed a homer over the boards in right.  In the ninth, Chris Proctor reached on a two-base error by Dernedde at short and took third on a single by Dues.  Gaige Howard grounded into a double play to tie the game at 3-3.

Robbie Baker (2-3) pitched a scoreless seventh for the FerryHawks to earn the win.

The Stormers head to Long Island for a three-game weekend series against the Ducks.  Max Green (9-4) will make the start for the Stormers against fellow lefty Wei-Yin Chen (5-5).  Fans may tune into the game on FloBaseball, starting at 6:30.

NOTES:  Howard, who had batted .519 over his previous 14 games, went 0-for-4 after moving up to the number two spot in the lineup…Lancaster is now 3-3 on the road trip…Dues had eight hits, four for extra bases in the series…Staten Island stole six bases, tied for the most against the Stormers in a game this season.