Barnstormers Strand 16 in Loss to Bears

By Atlantic League Independent Wire Services on April 26, 2009

The Barnstorrmers were left wanting again on Sunday afternoon.

Lancaster stranded 16 baserunners, tying a club record, in a 5-3, 11-inning loss to the Newark Bears, the third straight loss on the opening homestand.

Newark was not so wasteful.

Charlton Jimerson led off the 11th inning with a bloop, ground rule double down the right field line and eventually scored the go-ahead run as Bears manager Tim Raines, Sr. found himself out of players.

Jimerson’s double was followed by a bunt from Ramon Nivar. Eddie Camacho, Lancaster’s fifth pitcher, threw low, and David Housel was unable to handle the bounce as Nivar reached safely. The Barnstormers even had a second chance at Nivar, but he escaped a rundown, returning to first base untouched.

Nivar stole second, and Abraham Nunez got Jimerson across with a sacrifice fly to center. Nivar, who took third on the fly ball, scored on a grounder to third by Alberto Castillo, after sneaking up the line behind Lloyd Turner and bolting for the plate as soon as Turner cut loose the throw to first.

The Barnstormers fell behind, 2-0, early on an RBI single by Carl Everett in the first inning and RBI double by Anthony Manuel in the second.

In an inning that typified the weekend, the Barnstormers failed to catch up in the second.

Ryan Mulhern and L.J. Biernbaum started the frame with walks against starter Edgar Martinez. Bryan Sabatella reached on an infield single to load the bases, and Jed Morris, who had three singles in the game, drove in one run when his wind blown pop fly dropped in front of Jimerson in left.

Amadeo Zazueta popped to second for the first out, and Martinez induced a double play grounder from Lloyd Turner to get out of the threat.

Zazueta singled home a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Bears lead to 3-2, but, again the Barnstormers left the bases loaded in the inning on a called third strike to Aaron Herr. Herr vehemently disagreed with the call and was ejected from the game.

The Barnstormers were able to pull even in the bottom of the eighth. Morris led off with a single and advanced on a sacrifice by Zazueta. Lloyd Turner walked, and Michael Campbell greeted Cory Willey with the tying single to left field. Willey got Housel on a deep fly to center and struck out Jason Perry to preserve the tie.

Lancaster came close to winning again in the 10th inning. Turner drew a two-out walk from eventual winner Danny Santiesteban. Campbell then drilled a double into the right field corner. Jay Gibbons raced over and played the ball cleanly off the wall, forcing third base coach Tom Herr to hold Turner. Housel was caught looking at a third strike to end the threat.

NOTES: The Barnstormers are 1-3 for the first time in franchise history…The 3-6 slots in the batting order were a combined 1-for-20 on Sunday…Zazueta and Campbell both extended season-opening hitting streaks to four…Ross Peeples struck out four batters in a game for the first time since May 28, 2007…Peeples, Jon Huber and Ryan Cullen combined to deal five scoreless innings of relief…Lancaster will host Long Island at 7:00 on Tuesday evening…Josh Hall (1-0) will make the start for the Barnstormers.

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