WOODALL BRILLIANT IN SERIES OPENER

Barnstormers Top Sugar Land, 4-1

Bryan Woodall kept up the sensational work of Lancaster’s starting pitchers on this opening road trip.

The right-hander dealt seven shutout innings on Monday evening, pitching the Barnstormers to a 4-1 victory over the Sugar Land Skeeters at Constellation Field.

Woodall (1-0) yielded only two baserunners in the stint. Tyson Gillies beat out a grounder to the right side hole leading off the fourth. Jeremy Barfield smashed a single through the left side with two outs in the seventh.

Otherwise, the left-hander successfully kept the Skeeters off balance, retiring five on strikes, 10 on grounders and eight in the air. Nothing threatened to get beyond the outfielders with Woodall in the game.

Meanwhile, the Barnstormers were able to reach former Lancaster lefty Bryan Morgado (0-1) in the third. Josh Whitaker doubled down the right field line to start the inning. Whitaker was frozen off second on a comebacker off the bat of Charlie Cutler but stayed in the rundown long enough for Cutler to reach second. Jeff Kobernus singled home the run with a liner over the head of shortstop Beamer Weems.

The other three Lancaster runs came in an unusual fifth inning. Mike Jacobs ripped a single through the right side and was safe at second after third baseman Rick Hague bobbled a grounder by Kevin Ahrens. Whitaker picked up the only walk issued by Morgado, filling the bases. Cutler delivered a two-run double to left center. Ahrens barely scored, but Cutler nearly passed Whitaker at third. While the Skeeters made a play on Cutler, Whitaker sprinted home with the play’s third run as Lancaster grabbed a 4-0 lead.

Sugar Land rallied in the eighth on doubles to right by Johan Limonta and Gillies around a check swing infield single by Wilfredo Rodriguez. Jeff Dominguez stepped in as the potential tying run and whistled a line drive into first baseman Mike McDade’s glove to end the threat.

Cory Burns worked past a leadoff walk in the ninth to earn his first save.

The Barnstormers encounter Sugar Land in the second game of the series on Tuesday evening. J.D. Martin will make his debut for the Barnstormers against veteran Skeeters right-hander Sean Gallagher (1-0). Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 7:45 EDT.

NOTES: Lancaster’s “rotation” has allowed nine hits, two walks and one run in 24 innings…Kobernus and Jacobs have each hit safely in all five games played so far…Travis Witherspoon has hit safely in all four games and Caleb Gindl in all four starts…Lancaster did not leave a runner on base until the seventh inning of the game.