Top of Order Leads ‘Stormers

Trio Collects 10 Hits as Lancaster Wins Fifth Straight

The top of the Lancaster Barnstormers batting order had itself a night on Saturday.

Darian Sandford, Caleb Gindl and K.C. Hobson combined to go 10-for-12 to lead the ‘Stormers to an 8-3 victory over the New Britain Bees to extend the current winning streak to five and the Freedom Division lead over the Sugar Land Skeeters to two.

New Britain struck early on a two-run homer by Jovan Rosa in the top of the first.  Sandford singled to open the bottom of the inning but was thrown out stealing.  Gindl, who went 4-for-4, singled as well, and Hobson followed with a game-tying home run, his seventh of the season.

Sandford and Gindl combined to produce the lead run in the second.  With two outs, Sandford picked up his second single of the night.  The league steals leader grabbed his 22^nd of the season and scored on GIndl’s single.

The trio struck again against Brian Dupra (3-1) in the fourth when Gindl legged out a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hobson, who finished the night with five RBI.  Sandford also drove in one run.

Vladimir Frias drove home the other run with a double in the bottom of the sixth.

Overall, the Barnstormers rapped out 15 hits and scored in six of their eight turns at bat.

R.J. Hively (2-0) struck out four in 1 2/3 hitless innings to earn the win.

Conor Bierfeldt homered in the eighth inning for New Britain’s other run.

The two clubs conclude the three-game series on Sunday at 2:00.  Lancaster will send right-hander Brad Bergesen (2-1) to the mound against lefty Anthony Marzi.  Fans may tune into Blue Ridge Cable or the Barnstormers YouTube Channel.

NOTES:  The Barnstormers have won at least two games for the eighth consecutive series…They are 6-0-2 in those series…They have scored at least three runs and banged out at least seven hits in 25 consecutive games, during which they are 18-7…The Barnstormers now own the Atlantic League’s best overall record, one-half game better than Somerset…Sandford is 24-for-55 (.436) since May 4…Hobson joined Gindl and Sean Halton in the top five in the league in RBI…Lancaster pitching has struck out 36 batters in the last three games and still averages over one K per inning on the season.