TORRENCE SHINES IN LOSS

Barnstormers’ Right Fielder Steals Three in 7-4 Defeat

Despite the best efforts of right fielder Devon Torrence, who stole three bases on the afternoon, the Barnstormers dropped their third straight and 10^th in 11 games, a 7-4 defeat at the hands of the Long Island Ducks Sunday afternoon at Bethpage Ballpark.

Torrence, the former cornerback at Ohio State, was 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored for the afternoon.  He stole second and third bases in the fifth inning and second base in the seventh.  After review, it was ruled that he scored on an error, not on the back end of a delayed double steal in the third inning, denying him a share of the franchise single game record set by Darian Sandford in 2018.

Daniel Fields slugged a three-run homer off Kyle Davies (4-4) in the bottom of the second, and the Barnstormers spent the rest of the day attempting to make up the ground.  After Torrence scored the run on the L.J. Mazzilli errant throw home in the top of the third, Kirk Nieuwenhuis slammed his third homer of the series and 11^th of the year in the bottom of the inning.

So went the game.  A homer in the fourth and sacrifice fly in the fifth, both by Dan Gamache, brought Lancaster to within a run, but the Ducks scored a pair of runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, again establishing a three-run lead.

It was an unusual afternoon for Davies.  The right-hander allowed eight hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings.  He also walked a season-high five, one more than he had issued in his previous five starts combined.

Matt Marksberry and Logan Sawyer gave Lancaster scoreless work out of the bullpen while Vladimir Frias belted his second homer of the year off Christian Meister in the eighth.

The Barnstormers, who have spent the equivalent of two full days on some mode of transportation over the last 2 ½ weeks, finally return home.  They will face the Somerset Patriots to start a four-game series and seven-game homestand on Tuesday.  Left-hander Jared Lakind (2-1) will take the mound for the Barnstormers.  Fans may tune into Blue Ridge 11 or the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, starting at 7:00.

NOTES:  Sandford also stole a base as the Barnstormers took a season-high four…The game ended with an out on the bases, denying Gamache a chance to bat as the go-ahead run…Gamache’s home run extended his hitting streak to 10 games…He moved into second in the league with 41 RBI…Marksberry threw for the third straight game…He retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced over the weekend, striking out seven…Plate umpire Freddy De Jesus and third base umpire Calvin Baker had to switch positions after DeJesus took a foul ball off the face mask in the middle of the game.