Kelly Looper Decides Contest
Scott Kelly took advantage of an opportunity to beat his former club.
Lancaster’s utility infielder blooped a bases loaded single down the left field line in the bottom of the tenth to defeat the Long Island Ducks, 5-4, in the middle game of a three-game series Wednesday evening at Penn Medicine Park.
Kelly had played for the Ducks from the middle of 2023 through a short stint earlier this season.
After Michael McAvene (7-4) pinned the ITB runner at third in the top of the tenth inning, Mason Martin took the post at second base in the home portion. Ramon Santos (4-1) threw a wild pitch sending Martin to third and prompting both team to adopt some unusual strategy. Melvin Mercedes swung at a 3-0 pitch before eventually drawing a walk. Long Island went to a five-infielder defensive alignment which retired Joe Campagna on a grounder to short. With runners at second and third, the Ducks walked Alex Isola intentionally to set up the force at the plate.
Kelly got enough of a Santos offering to float it over third baseman Troy Viola down the line for the game-winning hit.
Long Island had tied the game in the top of the ninth when River Town beat out a dribbler to the third base side of the mound with two outs, scoring Viola from third as the save eluded Ryley Gilliam.
Town had staked the Ducks to a quick 1-0 lead on a homer in the first inning off Matt Swarmer. Isola’s leadoff double, a bunt by Kelly and Daniel Amaral’s grounder tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second.
The score remained deadlocked until the sixth when Ronaldo Flores found the right field deck for a two-run homer off Phil Diehl, providing the Ducks with a 3-1 edge. Joe Campagna struck back with a solo shot off Tanner Jacobson in the bottom of the inning.
Nick Lucky gave the Stormers their first lead of the series with a two-run homer to right center off Brayden Nelson in the home seventh.
Luke McCollough (0-3) will start the season finale for the Stormers on Thursday evening against Leonardo Taveras (0-0). The full team will be signing autographs prior to the game. Fans may follow the action on FloBaseball at 6:40.
NOTES: The game was delayed for 43 minutes by rain after one pitch in the bottom of the first inning…Lancaster has two of its three walkoff wins for the season in the last three games…The Stormers matched their second half (40) and season (71) win totals from last year…It marks the third time in four years that Lancaster has won at least 40 games in the second half.