Spent the first night of May at the ballpark on North Prince Street in a working capacity. The Stormers' Creative Services director knows me from Olden Days in Berks County, he had contacted me about working a high school game on this date. Faith Christian Academy (from Quakertown, about forty miles north of Philadelphia) met Oxford (southwestern Chester County, about thirty miles southeast of Lancaster), as the home team Oxford also utilized it for their Senior Night. The game started at 6:30, Oxford won 6-1 and by all accounts everybody went home happy. There's a possibility I may be needed for other events down the road, I told them to let me know and we'll see what happens. On Friday night I was back at the ballpark as a spectator, the Stormers returned from a season-opening road trip for the franchise's 20th Opening Night. The newly-minted Gastonia Ghost Peppers were the opponent (in 2024 they played without a nickname), the new identity has to do with a species of chili pepper reputed to be among the hottest in the world (OK, we'll go with it). The Stormers took an early 1-0 lead in the first on a RBI hit from returning fan favorite Kelly Dugan, after Gastonia tied it in the third Dugan came through again with a two-run single putting the Stormers back up by two. Yeison Coca'a two-RBI hit in the fourth made it a 5-1 game but the Peppers fought back with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to pull to within one. In the eighth Joseph Carpenter went yard to right-center adding an insurance run that ended up being needed, in the ninth Gastonia made it 6-5 but the rally (and the game) ended right there. Matt Swarmer started and went the first four innings, eighth-inning reliever Ryley Gilliam was awarded the decision with Phil Diehl working the ninth for the save. A crowd of better than 7100 attended Opening Night, on Saturday rain was in the forecast and it predictably was a factor. This game featured three separate delays totaling almost ninety minutes, they managed to get six innings played making the game official before conditions became unmanageable. On this night the Stormers lost 6-3 with a run scoring in the third when newcomer Nick Ward singled and scored on a wild pitch, two more scored in the fifth on a wild pitch and a hit batsman with the bases loaded. Newcomer Alex Garbrick started and took the loss with Mason Ronan and Steven Lacey in relief. Sunday was another "iffy" weather day, as is my wont I was not at the ballpark. Gastonia won another weather-plagued game to take the series, the Stormers stay home to host Southern Maryland on Tuesday the 6th. Take care, thanks for reading.
