Stormers capsize FerryHawks

Somewhere in Lancaster County lies the deed to Penn Medicine Park.

Rumor has it, Joe DeLuca’s name is on it.

After joining the Stormers earlier in the day, the catcher, playing for his fifth Atlantic League team, belted a pair of homers, driving in three as part of a 15-hit attack as the Stormers flooded the Staten Island FerryHawks, 18-1, in the opener of a six-game series.

DeLuca had homered seven times in 92 at bats as a visiting player, driving in 24 runs, over the past five seasons.  Included within that was a three-homer, nine-RBI span of two days with Hagerstown in 2025.

He reached Nick Payero (0-3) for a two-run blast in the first inning, a shot onto the right field tents.  It followed an earlier two-run drive to right center by Tyler Miller as Lancaster took the 4-0 lead in the first inning.

DeLuca’s other homer of the night produced the final run.  It was a rare opposite field homer to the deep left center gap in Lancaster, leading off the seventh inning.

However, the new receiver was hardly a solo act.  He was the frontman of a band that put on an incredible concert.  Jake Thompson was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and four RBI.  Nick Lucky added a base-clearing triple in the third.  Tyler Robertson reached base on all five of his plate appearances.  Jeremy Arocho drew four straight walks and daringly stole home, making his dash on Oscar Santos’ throw back to the mound in the second.

On top of all that, Adam Smith (1-1) threw an immaculate inning in the second against Ian Yetsko, Lamar Briggs and Luis Atiles.

Smith threw the first quality start of the season by a Stormer, yielding three hits and a run in six innings.  He walked two and struck out eight.

Despite the score, the game was not devoid of highlights for the FerryHawks.  Yetsko made a spectacular catch complete with a spill in the dugout in the first inning.  Santos launched a homer to right center in the third inning.  Kevin Dowdell worked three shutout innings in the middle of the game, yielding only an infield single to Lucky.

The Stormers will send right-hander Jason Bollman to the mound for his first start on Wednesday at 6:45.  Staten Island will counter with lefty Brandon Haston (0-1).  The game will be available for viewing on HomeTeam Network/Dugout TV at 6:35.

NOTES:  The average score of a Stormers game this season is 13-2…Thompson now has five doubles on the season…Joseph Carpenter had a triple in the second, only his third in five seasons with the Stormers…A.J. Alexy and Alex Garbrick combined to throw three scoreless innings.