Game 80: Stormers 12-10

VS NEWARK BEARS
Jose Garcia (1-0, 7.47 ERA) vs.
Rob Henkel (4-7, 4.94 ERA)

If the Barnstormers are going to put together a winning streak, this is the time to do it. Lancaster is about to start a nine-game homestand, including three games against suddenly pitching-starved Newark, three against Camden (which is 7-11 in the second half) and three against the Road Warriors. The Barnstormers are 24-24 at the Clip and have not won more than four in a row all season. That will have to change.

Pre-game notes:

– Gary Knotts, Newark’s scheduled starter for tonight, was signed by the Phillies and sent to Double-A Reading. The Bears have lost three members of their rotation, including Bobby Brownlie and Matt Sweeney, to affiliated ball. That’s a huge blow to the North Division’s first-half champs.

– Newark has also signed former big leaguer Ruben Mateo and has released Barnstormin’ favorite Joe Jiannetti. Jiannetti just never got it going this season. He was hitting .227 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 57 games. Maybe it’s the curse of Atlantic City. None of the Surf’s top players from last season panned out in the Atlantic League this year for a variety of reasons.

– Newark has an impressive lineup. How is this for a fearsome trio?

Javier Colina … .341, 18 HR, 65 RBIs in 76 games
Vic Rodriguez … .350, 7 HR, 59 RBIs in 77 games
Ramon Castro … .357, 3 HR, 21 RBIs in 48 games

– Pitching matchups for the rest of this series …

WEDNESDAY: Harold Eckert (0-0) vs. Josh Stevens (7-4)
THURSDAY: Delvis Pacheco (3-1) vs. Brett Evert (4-7)

– In case you missed it, York lost to Long Island 4-1 Monday night. So the Stormers are 6 1/2 back.

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Lineups:

BEARS (8-8): Marcus Nettles, LF; Ramon Castro, SS; Keith Reed, CF; Javier Colina, 2B; Vic Rodriguez, 1B; Corey Smith, 3B; Jose Herrera, RF; Joey Gomes, DH; John Pachot, C.

STORMERS (5-11): Mike Woods, 2B; Danny Gonzalez, SS; Jutt Hileman, CF; Dominick Ambrosini, LF; Jeremy Todd, 1B; Felix Martinez, 3B; Eric Crozier, DH; Lance Burkhart, C; Chris Van Rossum, RF.

Scoring summary:

FINAL: Barnstormers 12, Bears 10

Bears 1st: Reed’s home run scores Castro.
Bears lead 2-0.

Bears 2nd: Gomes hits solo home run. Castro’s double scores Nettles. Colina’s single scores Castro. Bears lead 5-0.

Stormers 2nd: Todd’s home run scores Ambrosini. Burkhart’s home run scores Crozier. Bears lead 5-4.

Stormers 3rd: Todd’s single scores Hileman. Martinez’s single scores Ambrosini.
Barnstormers lead 6-5.

Stormers 4th: Ambrosini’s double scores Woods and Gonzalez. Crozier’s walk scores Hileman.
Barnstormers lead 9-5.

Bears 5th: Colina hits solo home run. Herrera’s double scores Smith.
Barnstormers lead 9-7.

Bears 6th: Castro scores on Barry Armitage’s throwing error. Smith’s double scores Reed. Game tied at 9.

Bears 7th: Gomes hits solo home run.
Bears lead 10-9.

Stormers 7th: Martinez scores on wild pitch.
Game tied at 10.

Stormers 8th: Crozier’s single scores Ambrosini. Burkhart’s single scores Martinez.
Barnstormers lead 12-10.

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RECORD: 6-11 (35-45)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eric Crozier (3-for-4, including go-ahead single in the eighth).

WHAT WENT RIGHT: The offense stayed hot. The Barnstormers have scored 31 runs on 34 hits in the last two games. It’s an incredible reversal for a team that scored one run in a 30-inning stretch last week.

“Once one guy gets a hit, the next guy gets a hit and that’s how things roll,” Dominick Ambrosini said. “We weren’t getting our hits when we needed them, with runners in scoring position. Now we’re doing a lot better situational hitting. That’s why you see the numbers come on the board as runs.”

“I always said the worm turns,” interim manager Rick Wise said. “It’s an old baseball cliché, but it’s true. We have too many good hitters.”

*The Barnstormers overcame a 5-0 deficit and built a 9-5 lead. The score was tied at 10 in the eighth when Crozier and Lance Burkhart connected for back-to-back run-scoring singles to win the game.

*Ambrosini went 4-for-5, scored twice and drove in two runs. He’s 11-for-17 in his last three games and has raised his average to .333. That should put him in the top five in the league.

“I seem to be hitting them where they ain’t,” he said. “Basically, getting lucky. You can’t possibly have 11 hits in three games and not have a little luck.”

*Jeremy Todd and Burkhart each belted two-run homers. Todd is officially out of his funk. His blast was almost to dead center and it traveled about 400 feet.

*Felix Martinez went 3-for-5 and scored twice.

*Ryan Harris pitched a scoreless eighth and earned his second win. The indy league veteran has become Lancaster’s most reliable right-handed reliever other than Derrick DePriest.

*Chris Brock pitched well in long relief. Although his overall stats are still ugly after a poor start, Brock could become a valuable part of this staff. His stuff is good, as evidenced by his 13 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings.

*We figured out how to spell the new pitcher’s name: It’s Zack Parker.

*The Barnstormers have won three in a row. You never want to get too high over such a small streak, but things feel different for this team right now. It’s definitely more upbeat than it was during the Frank Klebe Era.

“You could feel the tension in the clubhouse for a while,” Crozier said. “It was unfortunate some things were happening, some little spats here and there. I think it was guys being fed up with how things were going. I think it’s good to see the weight lifted off a little bit. Hopefully, we can keep the blessing going.”

“These last couple of games have definitely given us a spark,” Ambrosini said. “The morale is great in the clubhouse right now. If we keep coming out and playing hard every day, this team can definitely get into the playoffs.”

*The Barnstormers know they have a chance for a lengthy winning streak.

“Of course we think we can put a run together,” Wise said. “We think we can compete with anyone in this league. We won’t back off for anyone. Losing is contagious and so is winning. If we get on a roll here, we can compete with anybody.”

WHAT WENT WRONG: Starter Rob Henkel struggled. He allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings before being pulled in favor of Brock. Wise made a smart move with the quick hook because the Barnstormers’ pitching staff was rested after two off days. What’s wrong with Henkel?

“He’s not locating his pitches at all,” Wise said. “He’s up in the zone and he’s a sinkerball pitcher. He’s missing his spots and they’re making him pay.”

*Reliever Barry Armitage had another rough night. He surrendered three runs in two innings and was on the hook for the loss before the Barnstormers rallied.

*For the Barnstormers to recover in this race, the pitching will have to improve. They can’t hit like this forever.

“Pitching is going to be the determining factor,” Wise said. “We have the offensive prowess to match up with anyone. We have to get our pitching together. It’s not often you give up nine runs and 10 runs and win both games. It behooves the pitchers to zero in, focus and make sure every pitch is close to where they’re trying to throw it.”