SUGAR LAND - The Sugar Land Skeeters are going to have to play catch-up if they are to win the Atlantic League Championship Series.
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Results/schedule
Barnstormers lead series 1-0
G1: Lancaster 10 Sugar Land 6
G2: At Sugar Land 6:05 today
G3: At Lancaster 6 Fri.
G4*: At Lancaster 6 Sat.
G5*: At Lancaster 4 Sun.
* - if necessary
Barnstormers 10, Skeeters 6
Lancaster 001 530 100 - 10 14 0
Sugar Land 000 101 004 - 6 9 1
Osterbrock (6), Andrelczyk (7), Loop (8), Kadish (8), Eppley (9), Urquidez (9) and Apodaca. Wright (5), Wells (6), VanAllen (7), Everts (8), Meadows (9) and Jennings.W- Osterbrock (1-0). L- Wright (1-1).S- Urquidez (3). HRs- Lancaster, Apodaca (1). Sugar Land, Young (2), Scott (2).
The visiting Lancaster Barnstormers stormed through Constellation Field on Tuesday, pounding the Skeeters 10-6 in the first game of the best-of-five series.
The Skeeters showed their ability to come back. A four-run ninth-inning rally fell short, however, as the game ended with runners at first and third for the Skeeters.
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"We've been playing these kinds of games for the last month," said Skeeters manager Gary Gaetti. "We've had our backs against the wall the whole time. I love my guys for battling the way they did."
Delwyn Young, who homered in the sixth inning, drove in two runs in the ninth with a double.
"We just came up a little short," said Young. "Every night you want to take a few good swings, but tonight it didn't end up our way."
Aside from Travis Scott's solo home run to right field in the fourth inning and Young's solo homer to left field, there was little offense until the ninth from the Skeeters, who are playing in the league championship series for the first time in the club's three-year history.
Down 10-2 entering the ninth, Sugar Land took advantage of wildness from reliever Ian Kadish, who walked all three batters he faced.
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"At this time of the year, you have to take advantage of every little miscue," said Young, who had two of the Skeeters' nine hits. "One good thing about this team all year is we've been able to not press."
Juan Apodaca homered for the Barnstormers, who amassed 14 hits. For Lancaster, Greg Golson had a three-run triple in the fourth inning among his four RBIs, Yusuke Kajimoto added a two-run double in the fifth inning, and Olmo Rosario had three hits.
Lancaster starter Dan Osterbrock (1-0) was effective in his six innings, allowing two runs and five hits. Sugar Land starter Matt Wright (1-1) struggled in the middle innings, allowing nine runs in 4 2⁄3 innings.
Game 2 of the five-game series is Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. at Constellation Field. The two teams split the season series 10-10.
The Barnstormers broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning to go ahead 6-0. The big blow was Golson's triple that scored Lance Zawadzki, Apodaca and Kajimoto.
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Richard Dean is a freelance writer.
