STORMERS RALLY BUT STUMBLE IN 10th

Lancaster Falls into First Place Tie

Nothing comes easy for the Lancaster Barnstormers in 2023.

Especially not go-ahead runs.

The Barnstormers rallied from a 6-1 deficit Saturday evening at WellSpan Park in York, only to leave the bases loaded in the top of the 10^th inning and lose to the host Reves, 7-6, in a rain-delayed game.

Anthony Peroni led off the eighth with a walk and left for designated runner Chris Proctor.  Melvin Mercedes stroked a grounder to the hole on the right side, but Proctor could not avoid it and was automatically out.  Yeison Coca singled into right, and Andretty Cordero was hit by a pitch to load the bags.  Ariel Sandoval got a bases loaded walk on a clock violation, and Wilson Garcia made it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly to right.  Joseph Carpenter lined out to end the inning.

Trayvon Robinson and Chad Sedio drew consecutive walks to open the ninth.  Peroni and Melvin Mercedes drilled consecutive RBI singles to pull Lancaster to within a run.  Nelvin Correa (4-4) replaced Carlos Espinal and allowed Coca to drop a bunt to move the runners to second and third.  The Revs opted to walk Cordero intentionally to load the bases.  A sacrifice fly by Sandoval tied the game.

Then, in the tenth, walks to Jack Conley and Robinson filled the bases, but the Barnstormers could never forge ahead against Correa.  Sedio struck out looking, Chris Proctor grounded into a force play at the plate, and Mercedes grounded to first to end the game.

Otosaka beat out a bunt single to send Trey Martin to third in the bottom of the inning.  Mike Adams (3-6) gave an intentional walk to Drew Mendoza to load the bases.  Jhon Nunez struck out before Trent Giambrone rolled a single under Mercedes’ glove to win it.

Jared Lakind (8-4) will take the hill for the Barnstormers on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 against right-hander J.T. Hintzen (9-7).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball at 1:55.

NOTES:  York pulled to within 1 ½ of the top with the win…Cordero lost an 18-game hitting streak…Lancaster starter Matt Swarmer struck out 11 in 5 2/3 innings, the most by a Barnstormer pitcher since Cameron Gann struck out 12 at Kentucky in June, 2022…Chandler Brierley struck out Otosaka, the only batter he faced, in his debut…Alexis Pantoja hit his first homer of the year for York to break a 1-1 tie in the fifth.