The warmer weather trend continued with the start of the new week, on Tuesday the Barnstormers began a new series at home with the Long Island Ducks. Around 4:00 or so a strong storm system moved through, when I arrived at the ballpark at 5:45 the tarpaulin had already been rolled up and put away. The field itself was in good shape, the problem was the warning track around the perimeter. The areas in front of either dugout and directly behind home plate were of particular concern, they were working to get those spots dried up and playable. With it all the game did not start until almost 8:25, I hung out for the first three innings but by then it was close to 10:00 and I decided to cut out and head home. The game finally ended around 11:45, the Stormers never led in a 17-7 loss. The irony is that the teams had mutually agreed beforehand to play a seven-inning game given the circumstances, had it been a nine-inning game it would have undoubtedly lasted past midnight and we all remember what happened the previous Friday. I lived that life for thirty-five years and that is a part of it I don't miss and never will. On Wednesday night there were no weather issues at all, it was virtually a perfect night for a ballgame. For a second straight night the Barnstormers scored seven runs, the difference was they held the opponent to sixteen fewer runs than the night before. The visiting Ducks went up 1-0 in the third, Andretty Cordero's solo home run in the fourth drew the Stormers even. In the fifth Chris Proctor doubled and scored on Melvin Mercedes' RBI double, Cordero followed with a base hit scoring Melvin to put the Good Guys up 3-1. A three-run seventh extended the lead thanks to a Trace Loehr two-run double and an RBI single by Merecedes, Jake Hoover's solo home run in the eighth provided the last run of the night. Gray Fenter started and went five for the 7-1 win with newcomer Cam Booser, Josh Graham and West Tunnell closing it out. The teams meet in the "rubber game" on Thursday night. Take care, thanks for reading.
