WALKS, ERRORS AID LANCASTER WIN

Barnstormers Complete Sweep, 6-2

Nile Ball kept the Lancaster Barnstormers in the game, and the Barnstormers took advantage of sloppy defense in the seventh to defeat the Staten Island Ferryhawks, 6-2, late Sunday afternoon at SIUH Community Park.

The win completed a sweep of the three-game weekend series and kept Lancaster 4 ½ games ahead of Southern Maryland in the second half race in the North.

Lancaster faced left-hander Augie Sylk whom they dealt to the Ferryhawks three weeks earlier and could make no headway against their ex-teammate.  Sylk walked seven in five innings but allowed only one hit, a single by Anderson Feliz to open the fourth.

The Ferryhawks took a 1-0 lead off Nile Ball (9-4) in the first on a home run down the left field line by Angel Aguilar.  Feliz’ single led to a tying run as he stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Andres Noriega.  Jacob Barfield was walked intentionally after working the count to 3-0.  With Trace Loehr batting, Barfield ran halfway to second.  Noriega was deked into throwing through, and Feliz beat the return throw home from Aguilar to score the tying run.

Singles by Aguilar and Rusney Castillo, and a sac fly by Christopher Cespedes in the bottom of the fourth produced the second, and final, run off Ball.  The right-hander completed seven innings, yielding eight hits and one walk.

Lancaster’s bats were quiet into the seventh.  Barfield drew a leadoff walk from Jordan Simpson (1-3).  Loehr struck out on a bunt attempt, and Melvin Mercedes flied to left for a second out.  Trayvon Robinson’s one-hopper to third was thrown away by Castillo, giving Lancaster runners at the corners.  Andretty Cordero lined a single to center to tie the game at 2-2.  Simpson hit Colton Shaver with a pitch to load the bases.  Feliz rapped a sharp grounder to Cespedes at first which was mishandled for the second error of the inning as Lancaster grabbed a 3-2 lead.  Anthony Peroni added a walk to force in another run.

Cordero drove home an insurance run with a bases loaded grounder in the eighth, and Chris Proctor capped the scoring with an RBI triple to left center in the top of the ninth.

The Barnstormers will open a three-game series at Long Island on Tuesday with right-hander Cameron Gann (6-8) on the hill.  Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube channel, starting at 6:30.

NOTES:  Cordero tied the club record with his 103^rd RBI…Aaron Herr knocked in 103 in 2010…A bunt single by Melvin Mercedes in the eighth kept a hitting streak alive at 11 games…Ball threw his ninth quality start…With Shawon Dunston, Jr., Ariel Sandoval and Jake Hoover all on the shelf, the Barnstormers used Mercedes in center and Proctor in left…Ball threw his ninth quality start…Lancaster won the last 13 games of the season series…Kelsie Whitmore made her second consecutive start and made the defensive play of the day, robbing Cordero of an extra base hit in the third…She was 0-for-2 at the plate before leaving for a pinch hitter in the seventh.