STORMERS EDGE YORK

Hulsizer, Stewart Pace Offense in 4-3 Win

The Lancaster Stormers started only two right-handed batters on Wednesday evening against York Revolution left-hander Aaron Fletcher.

Those two were enough.

Niko Hulsizer went 3-for-4 with a homer and double, and Joe Stewart was 2-for-3 with a homer and a triple as the Lancaster Stormers upended the York Revolution 4-3, in the middle game of a three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

The win ended Lancaster’s eight-game losing streak against the archrivals and moved the Stormers back to a three-game lead over the Revs in the North Division’s second half chase.

With a 2-2 tie entering the seventh, York took a two-out lead against eventual winner Jackson Rees (4-0).  The right-hander walked Matt McDermott and Rudy Martin, Jr. consecutively with two outs.  Catcher Chris Proctor made an attempt to pick Martin off first base but sailed the ball over Mason Martin and down the right field line as McDermott scored.  Rees fanned Donovan Casey to end the inning.

Aaron Fletcher (5-4) walked Shawon Dunston, Jr. to start the bottom of the inning and was visibly upset with home plate umpire Steve Hart afterward.  Stewart followed with his triple to the gap in left center to tie the game.  Fletcher, about to be replaced by right-hander Tom Sutera, grew increasingly incensed and was tossed by Hart.

Sutera retired Proctor on a foul pop up to third, but Trace Loehr was able to bring home the lead run with a single through the left side.

Phil Diehl held the lead through the eighth inning, allowing an infield single to Zander Wiel.  Stephen Nogosek polished off York in 1-2-3 fashion in the ninth for his 10^th save.  The leadoff strikeout of Alex Pantoja led to the second baseman’s ejection as well.

Stewart opened the scoring with a line drive home run barely fair onto the Clipper Magazine Stadium deck in the bottom of the second, but York tied the game in the fourth as Casey reached on a two-base throwing error by Loehr then raced home to score on an errant pickoff throw by Oscar De La Cruz.

Hulsizer took a Fletcher offering onto the hillside in left for a 2-1 lead, but that was negated by Jacob Rhinesmith’s two-out solo shot in the sixth.

De La Cruz worked six innings, yielding seven hits and only one earned run.  He walked one and fanned seven.

Matt Swarmer (2-1) will make the start for the Stormers on Thursday in the series finale.  Jon Olsen (8-1) will counter for the Revs.  Fans may tune into Blue Ridge 11 or FloBaseball, starting at 6:40.

NOTES:  Five of Stewart’s six hits have been for extra bases…Nogosek earned his eighth save in Lancaster’s 13 second half wins…De La Cruz has fired back-to-back quality starts…The Stormers were guilty of four errors, the most since Opening Night at Long Island, when the club committed five…Hulsizer has seven homers and 25 RBI in his last 18 games.