stormers News

STORMERS TAKE FOURTH STRAIGHT

Five-Run Fifth Vaults Lancaster to Series Sweep

The Lancaster Stormers extended their winning streak to four against the Atlantic League’s best starting pitcher on Thursday evening.

Christian Capuano entered the night with a 5-0 record and miniscule 1.36 ERA, but the Stormers knocked him out in the fifth inning en route to a 7-2 win over the host Staten Island FerryHawks.  The win, Lancaster’s fourth straight, capped the sweep at Staten Island, the first series sweep for the Stormers since taking their first three home games from Hagerstown.

Shawon Dunston, Jr. opened the fifth with a single to left off Capuano (5-1) and moved up on a grounder to first by Trace Loehr.  Cristian Santana singled to center, sending Dunston to third, and Chris Proctor’s sacrifice fly to left snapped a 2-2 tie.  Joseph Carpenter added a single to left, and both runners scored when Gaige Howard plugged the left center gap with a double, driving Capuano out of the game.  Chad Sedio and Kyle Kassler contributed RBI singles off reliever William Kirwan to complete the scoring for the night.

Dunston opened the night with a triple over Kolby Johnson’s head in right and scored on a grounder by Loehr.  Jack Conley singled home Howard in the second inning for a 2-0 lead.  Staten Island took advantage of errors on consecutive plays to score a run in the second off starter Max Green.  Johnson and Nate Scantlin executed a well-timed double steal in the third to tie the game.

Green left after throwing 85 pitches in four innings.  Nolan Long (1-2) survived a bases loaded drive to the warning track in the fifth inning and two more runners in scoring position in the sixth to hold the lead.  Ted Stuka retired six of seven batters he faced, and Kyle Johnson worked a three-batter ninth to close out the evening.

Lancaster will don the Lebanon Ironmasters jerseys on Friday evening to host the Charleston Dirty Birds.  Jack Labosky (1-1) will take the hill for the Ironmasters against right-hander Gerald Ogando (0-1).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball at 6:40.

NOTES:  The bullpen has thrown 14 2/3 scoreless innings during the winning streak..Carpenter extended his hitting streak to eight…Howard drove in seven runs in six games on the road trip…Lancaster went 5-2 on the junket to New York State