Playoff Bound
September 13, 2022 – Atlantic League (AtL) – Lancaster Barnstormers News Release
The Lancaster Barnstormers are the second half North Division champions.
Lancaster sealed the deal on Tuesday evening with a convincing 10-4 win over the York Revolution at Clipper Magazine Stadium. The win sends Lancaster to a division series with the first half champion Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, starting at Clipper Magazine Stadium next Tuesday.
The Barnstormers’ 16-hit attack was ignited by Shawon Dunston, Jr. In his first game back from a five-week stint on the injured list, Dunston led off with a home run and went 4-for-4 with three RBI overall. Andretty Cordero chimed in with three doubles and four RBI, setting the franchise’s single season hits record with 176.
Dunston’s homer gave Lancaster a quick 1-0 lead, and the Barnstormers would tack on another off lefty Ben Herrick (1-4) on a single by Melvin Mercedes and double by Anderson Feliz.
York quickly caught up as sluggers Nellie Rodriguez and Melky Mesa belted consecutive homers off Oscar De La Cruz in the top of the second. However, the Barnstormers took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning.
Anthony Peroni and Jake Hoover opened the inning with singles to left and advanced on a bunt by Trace Loehr. Dunston line a single to center to score Peroni, and Hoover came across on Mercedes’ second hit of the night. Cordero followed with a double to left center for a 5-2 lead.
The Revs whittled away, scoring a run on a quirky 2-3 ground out from Elmer Reyes with the bases loaded where it was ruled that Peroni did not have his foot on the plate with the ball to start a double play. Jhon Nunez homered in the top of the fifth to cut the ‘Stormer edge to 5-4.
Hoover reached on an error in the bottom of the fifth and scored from third on a one-out bloop hit to left by Dunston. With two outs, Cordero rapped a double inside the third base bag to score Mercedes, pushing the lead to three.
Nellie Rodriguez greeted Brandyn Sittinger with a single to center in the sixth and went to second on a passed ball. York never got another man aboard as Loehr made a dazzling catch of a line drive by Mesa, the first of 12 consecutive outs reeled off by Sittinger and lefty Cam Booser.
An RBI single to center by Loehr and Cordero’s two-run double to right in the bottom of the seventh put the game, and the playoff berth, away for the Barnstormers.
Lancaster will host York again on Wednesday with Bret Clarke (2-1) on the hill against right-hander Austin Mora (0-1). Fans may tune into the YouTube Channel at 6:25.
NOTES: The Barnstormers also clinched the War of the Roses with their 17th win in the 32-game series…Cordero stretched his club record in RBI to 114, the third highest total in league history…His 176 hits rank him fifth…Chris Proctor has seven hits in the last three games…Lancaster has 37 hits in the last two…De La Cruz is 9-0 against teams other than Long Island…It is Lancaster’s first half-season division title since 2015.
• Discuss this story on the Atlantic League message board…
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
