STORMERS HANG ON FOR WIN

Nogosek Slams Door in Ninth

Stephen Nogosek retired the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in order in the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday evening to preserve a 5-4 Lancaster win at Regency Furniture Stadium.

The right-hander retired Isaias Quiroz on a grounder flagged by second baseman Damon Dues up the middle, struck out Brandon Pugh and got Michael Wielansky on a fly ball to right, ending Lancaster’s four-game losing streak and keeping the club within four of division-leading York.

Lancaster’s middle of the order produced all of the offense.  Joseph Carpenter and Chris Proctor rapped out consecutive singles to open the fourth inning.  Gaige Howard doubled to the left field corner to score Carpenter, and Jordan Howard staked the Stormers to a 3-2 lead with a two-run single to right off Garrett Martin (4-3).

The same quartet would strike again two innings later.  Carpenter and Proctor drew consecutive walks and advanced on a bad pickoff throw by Quiroz.  Gaige Hoard drilled a single to left, scoring Carpenter, and Proctor rode home on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Howard.

Max Green (3-3) had a shaky start.  Pugh drove his first pitch to left for a double.  Wielansky singled into center to score a run, and Anthony Brocato singled down the left field line to put runners at first and third.  Wielansky scored on a force out before Green settled in and tossed shutout baseball for the remainder of his 6 2/3 inning stint. 

Brocato opened the eighth with a homer off James Hoyt to cut Lancaster’s lead to 5-3.  Juan Kelly launched a long double to right.  Two outs later, Anthony Ray singled Kelly home with a run, but Hoyt struck out Aaron Hill to end the inning.

Noah Bremer (4-2) will make the start on Wednesday evening against Blue Crabs legend Daryl Thompson (1-7).  Fans may tune into the game at 7:00 on FloBaseball.

NOTES:  Carpenter has hit safely in 22 of his last 23 games…Ted Stuka got the final out in the seventh, pitching his eighth straight scoreless appearance…Gaige Howard had his first three-hit game…Jordan Howard has now had a pair of come-from-behind two-run hits since joining Lancaster…Green is 3-0 as a starter.