Barnstormers Walk Past Ducks

By Atlantic League Independent Wire Services on June 6, 2010

Ryan Mulhern’s bat and Lloyd Turner’s eye carried the Lancaster Barnstormers past the Long Island Ducks, 5-4, Saturday evening in front of 6,562 Saturday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Down, 4-3, entering the bottom of the ninth, the Barnstormers got a leadoff single from Aaron Herr, playing despite a twisted ankle.  Toshihisa Nishi ran for Herr and stayed at first as Reggie Taylor popped out.  Mulhern then took Joe Esposito (1-2) to the base of the left field wall for an RBI double to tie the game.  Vic Gutierrez was hit by a pitch, filling in first.  Joe Gaetti flied to right for the second out of the inning.

Esposito nearly sent the game to a tenth inning.  Josh Johnson hit a slow bounder to the left side of the infield.  Shortstop Erick Monzon, screened initially, had to come in and to his right to field the ball.  His off-balance throw to first had Johnson beaten, but it was ruled that first baseman Ray Navarrete came off the bag as Johnson reached safely.  Turner followed with a walk on five pitches, pushing Mulhern across with the game winner.

Long Island broke out to a 3-0 lead off Josh Hall in the third.  Dustan Mohr led off with a double into the right field corner and scored on Matt Cavagnaro’s liner into right center.  Juan Francia advanced Cavagnaro with a bunt, and Cavagnaro swiped third before motoring home on Erick Monzon’s single to left.  A wild pitch moved Monzon into scoring position, and Navarrete singled him to third.  John Rodriguez got the third run home with a fielder’s choice grounder.

A two-run homer by Reggie Taylor in the bottom of the third off Sidney Ponson brought Lancaster back to within one, and Mulhern tied the game with a solo shot to right center in the fifth.

Long Island did not have another threat against Hall, who retired 15 of 16 in one stretch, but they did take the lead back on Monzon’s fourth homer of the season, a solo blast to right center with one out in the eighth.  Hall yielded only six hits in the game while walking one and striking out three in the longest performance by a Barnstormers pitcher this season.

Meanwhile, Lancaster had numerous opportunities, including the seventh when the loaded the bases on a single by Taylor and walks to Mulhern and Gaetti.  Johnson grounded into a double play, stranding two of the 15 mean Lancaster marooned in the game.

Jason Simontacchi (1-3) worked a perfect ninth for the Barnstormers to earn the win.

The two teams meet for the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:30.  Ben Fritz (0-2) will make the start for the Barnstormers against Randy Leek (7-1).  Tickets are available through www.lancasterbarnstormer.com or by stopping into the box office.  It is a Lancaster General Health Family Fun Day.  Families can play catch on the field prior to the game, and kids will have the opportunity to run the bases afterward.  Fans will also have the chance to get autographs from some of their favorite Barnstormers players prior to the start of the afternoon’s play.

NOTES:  Perry was hit by a pitch and walked, extending his on-base streak to 26…He lost his hitting streak at nine…Gutierrez and Mulhern have each hit safely in six straight…Gutierrez needs one more hit to move into a tie for 10th place all-time in Atlantic League history…It was Lancaster’s second win this season when trailing after eight innings…The other came at Camden on May 10…Monzon is 6-for-9 this series and 10-for-17 against the Barnstormers overall in 2010.

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