July 6-8

Friday night at the ballpark under clear skies and lower temperatures, after a week in the oven it felt good to not sweat involuntarily. The New Britain Bees were in town for the start of the season's second half where every team's record reverts back to 0-0, on this night the Stormers stumbled out of the gate and lost 5-1. Steve Johnson started on the mound and took the loss. The lone score for the home team came in the ninth, Ryan Casteel singled and scored on Grant Desme's RBI double. Desme is a great story, in 2010 he was a top prospect in the Oakland A's organization when he elected to retire from baseball with the intention of joining the priesthood. He eventually left the seminary before becoming a priest because he wished to marry and start a family. He was coaching at a small Catholic college in Florida when the Stormers called in June with an opportunity to get back into pro ball. On Saturday the clubs met for game #2, the Stormers evened the series with a 6-2 verdict. In the home third Tyler Bortnick singled and Darian Sandford walked, Rico Noel's infield hit loaded the bases. Bortnick and Sandford came home on a New Britain fielding error, Trayvon Robinson's RBI hit scored Noel to give the Stormers a 3-0 lead. The Bees got two back in the fifth, in their half the Stormers replied accordingly. Noel walked and scored on another RBI hit by Robinson, he would score on Desme's RBI double to restore the three-run advantage. K.C. Hobson's solo home run in the eighth capped the scoring, Brooks Hall went six innings as the starter for the decision. I was absent as usual from the heat of Sunday afternoon, the Bees won the rubber game of the series 6-3. The Atlantic League enters its All-Star break with the game itself on Wednesday the 11th on Long Island. Take care, thanks for reading.