Lancaster, Penn. – The Somerset Patriots (24-15) fell just short against the Lancaster Barnstormers (22-16) 11-10 in their highest scoring ballgame of the season Tuesday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Lancaster opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run K.C. Hobson (9) home run to deep right field. The Barnstormers later doubled their lead on an Anderson De La Rosa RBI single in the second and a run-scoring base hit from Lastings Milledge in the third. 

Somerset responded with three runs in the top of the fourth on a Jerry Sands (10) two-run home run to right-center field and a Yovan Gonzalez RBI double to make it a one-run ballgame. Two innings later, the Patriots would take the lead.

Sands led off the top of the sixth with a base hit before scoring two batters later on a Gonzalez (2) two-run home run. Later in the inning, Alfredo Rodriguez laced an RBI single to center before Scott Kelly topped off the five-run frame with a two-run triple to right-center field.

“I was very happy to see us fight back against a good squad,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Jerome [Williams] struggled a bit early, but we were able to pick him up with some big innings of our own. We tried to hold them off later on, but it just turned into one of those slugfests.”

The Barnstormers drew within a run in the bottom of the sixth on a Vladimir Frias RBI double and a two-out, two-run single from Darian Sandford.

After Justin Pacchioli drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh to increase Somerset’s margin to 9-7, Lancaster plated four runs – all with two outs – in the bottom of the seventh to regain the lead. Blake Gailen’s (3) two-run home run and RBI singles from Frias and De La Rosa highlighted the inning.

The Patriots made it an 11-10 ballgame in the top of the eighth on Sands’ (11) second home run of the game, but the comeback effort ended there.

Kevin Munson (1-1) earned the win after he allowed a run in one inning of relief. Kyler Newby (1-1) took the loss, yielding two runs in two-thirds of an inning. Anthony Carter (8) earned the save with a scoreless ninth. Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision.
 

The Patriots and Barnstormers continue their series Wednesday night in Lancaster. Right-hander Mitch Atkins (3-3, 3.92 ERA) takes the mound for Somerset against southpaw Rommie Lewis (2-3, 5.74 ERA) for the Barnstormers. First pitch at Clipper Magazine Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

Tickets to the 2017 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford, which includes the team’s 20th Anniversary, are on sale now. TD Bank Ballpark will be the host of the 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by RWJBarnabas Health and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey on Wednesday, July 12th. For more information, stop by the ballpark, call (908) 252-0700, or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

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