TAKE TWO!

Lancaster Sweeps Pair from Southern Maryland

Pinch runner Shawon Dunston, Jr. scored the decisive run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Lancaster Stormers took Wednesday’s regularly scheduled game, 1-0, from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Earlier, Trace Loehr keyed a three-run seventh with a double to right center as Lancaster took the nine-inning suspended game, 5-4.

Mason Martin opened the bottom of the seventh with a fly ball to deep left off Garrett Martin (5-7).  Left fielder Anthony Brocato appeared to lose the ball in the lights for a second, then the wind pushed it toward the angle in the fence.  The ball fell and spun away from Brocato, allowing Martin to reach third on his first triple of the year.  Dunston was brought in to run for Mason Martin, and Joe Stewart took a 1-2 pitch to right field.  Miles Williams made a lunging catch while retreating on the ball but had no chance to throw out Dunston.

Up until then, Garrett Martin and a trio of Lancaster hurlers had matched zeroes with very little offense.  The Blue Crabs right-hander had surrendered four hits and no walks while striking out seven.  Noah Bremer, making his third start in five days with two of those being suspended early, tossed five shutout innings on two hits and two walks.  Kyle Johnson pitched a perfect sixth, and Phil Diehl (4-2) survived a one-out infield, followed by a stolen base and throwing error in the seventh, to record the win.

Southern Maryland had two runners reach third in the game; Lancaster had one until Mason Martin’s triple.

In the first game, the bottom of the seventh was the key to the Lancaster win.  Dunston ripped a one-out double into the right field corner off Jason Creasy (5-1).  Creasy then walked Chris Proctor.  Dunston and Proctor executed a double steal, and both scored when Loehr found the alley in right center for his double and a 4-2 edge.  Two batters later, Gaige Howard looped a single into right center, providing Lancaster with a needed insurance run.

Scott Engler, making his Clipper Magazine Stadium debut, retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the eighth before walking Michael Baca and Travis Demeritte back-to-back.  They pulled off a double steal before Josh Broughton found the alley in right center, scoring both.  However, Broughton got caught between second and third for the final out of the inning.

A sac fly by Chad Sedio gave Lancaster the early lead in the suspended game.  Juan Kelly tied the score with a homer to left, and Broughton put the Blue Crabs ahead with a two-out single to left in the sixth.  Mason Martin’s double to left center in the bottom of the inning tied the score.

Oscar De La Cruz (3-2) picked up the game at the point of suspension and went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and two runs for the win.  He struck out eight.  Stephen Nogosek pitched a perfect ninth for his league-leading 12^th save.

The Stormers will entertain the Blue Crabs again on Thursday evening.  Left-hander Brady Tedesco (0-3) will start for Lancaster against Southern Maryland’s Spencer Johnston (5-3).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball and Blue Ridge 11, beginning at 6:40.

NOTES:  Lancaster (19-9) moved back to a one-game lead over York in the North…Long Island trails by 2 ½, pending the outcome of a second game…Howard went 3-for-4 in the opener, his 32^nd multi-hit game of the season…Martin had three extra-base hits in the doubleheader…Lancaster failed to homer in the doubleheader after connecting in 14 of the previous 15 games…The second game was only Lancaster’s fifth win of the season when the team has not scored at least five runs…Dunston stole his 94^th base as a Stormer, moving him to sole possession of third place on the all-time list…Loehr became the fifth Stormer this season to drive in 40 or more runs.