STORMERS FALL IN EXTRAS

Club Drops Fifth Straight

Gio Digiacomo’s two-run homer in the top of the tenth inning sent the Lancaster Stormers to their fifth consecutive loss early Thursday as the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs completed a series sweep with a 5-4 win at Penn Medicine Park.

While the Digiacomo deck shot officially did the Stormers in, the offense failed to capitalize on several opportunities over the course of the game, leading to Lancaster’s demise.

The Stormers loaded the bags with one out in the first inning, managing one run on a force play grounder by Ariel Sandoval. 

After falling behind on Cael Chatham’s RBI double in the second and Alejandro de Aza’s two-run homer in the third, Lancaster could not grab another lead despite seven shutout innings spun by Steven Lacey, Kyle Johnson and Scott Engler.

Lancaster failed to score in the fifth and sixth innings, leaving two runners on base each time.  A two-out double down the left field line by Alex Isola and RBI single to right center by Joseph Carpenter in the seventh drew the Stormers within one.  Following a pitching change to Noah Williamson, Sandoval walked, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch.  Williamson retired Nick Lucky on a foul ball to third.

Wildness remained an issue for Williamson in the eighth.  He hit Andrew Semo leading off the inning and walked the next two.

Again, Lancaster managed only one run to tie as Nick Ward lined a sac fly to right. Off Rafi Vazquez.

Phil Diehl (0-3) retired the side after the Digiacomo homer, and the Stormers again had an opportunity.  With Lucky at second to start the home tenth, Andrew Semo walked.  Then, the inning got really bizarre.

LeDarious Clark fouled a bunt, then swung and missed.  He again squared to bunt and fouled it back, striking out.  Lucky and Semo executed a double steal to move the tying run into scoring position for Slater Schield.  Schield hit a grounder to third to score the one run, but Semo was caught in a rundown and was tagged out at third.  Schield ducked into second behind the play.  Then, with club RBI leader Nick Ward batting, Schield made a dash for third but was thrown out by pitcher Brandon McCabe, who earned his first save.

Overall, the Stormers left 12 runners on base on the day.

Lancaster will open a three-game series at Long Island on Friday evening.  Matt Swarmer (0-1) will take the hill against John Gant (1-1) in a matchup of former big league right-handers.  Fans may follow the action on FLoBaseball, beginning at 6:30.

NOTES:  Lancaster managed only 15 hits in the Southern Maryland series and 33 on the homestand…Kelly Dugan left the club prior to the game, and the Stormers released LHP Mason Ronan following the contest…Reinforcements are expected over the weekend…Ward has RBI in four straight games and in six of the last eight, driving in a total of 13…Lacey allowed two hits and struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings on the homestand.