STORMERS HANG ON

Lancaster Gains Split with Narrow Win

Finally!

For the first time this season, the Lancaster Stormers held onto a late lead, defeating the Long Island Ducks, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.  The win earned a split of the four-game holiday weekend series.

The first team save did not come without angst.  James Hoyt recorded the first two outs of the ninth easily and worked ahead of Tyler Dearden, 0-2.  Dearden was grazed by the next pitch.  Ryan McBroom walked on a 3-2 pitch, and Chance Sisco was also hit to load the bases.  Hoyt faced lefty hitting Taylor Kohlway and struck him out on three pitches to lock down the Lancaster win.

Lancaster had forged the lead in the top of the eighth inning.  Joseph Carpenter led off with a double into the left field corner, his third hit of the afternoon.  Two outs later, Trevor Bettencourt (1-1) hit Chad Sedio with a pitch.  Kyle Kasser, signed on Friday, picked up his first Atlantic League base hit, a two-run double yanked into the right field corner, to put Lancaster over the top.

McBroom singled home a pair of runs off starter Nile Ball in the home half of the third, but Lancaster responded quickly.  Shawon Dunston, Jr. ripped a double into right center off Stephen Woods, Jr. with one out in the fourth.  Carpenter reached on a bobble by shortstop Manuel Geraldo.  A wild pitch brought Dunston home, and Carpenter scored when Gaige Howard plugged the gap in right center with his double.

Justin Farmer’s sixth inning sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth gave Lancaster a brief lead, but the Ducks jumped ahead in the bottom of the inning when Aaron Antonini followed an error and a single with a double over Dunston’s head in center that drove in both.

Augie Sylk (2-2) earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning.  Kyle Johnson retired the side in order in the eighth inning.

Lancaster will be off on Memorial Day before traveling back to the New York City area to start a three-game series against Staten Island on Tuesday.  Noah Bremer (1-1) will take the hill for the Stormers against right-hander John Esposito (0-0).  Fans may tune in on FloBaseball, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  Ball struck out four, giving him 325 as a Stormer…That ties manager Ross Peeples for second on the all-time list…He has walked only nine in 34.1 innings this season…Lancaster banged out five doubles on the day…Carpenter has hit safely in five straight, a personal season high…The Stormers will return to Long Island for consecutive weekends in late July and early August.