LANCASTER, Pa. – Lancaster’s Oscar De La Cruz tossed a four-hit complete game to lead the Barnstormers to a 6-1 win over the High Point Rockers on Friday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium. The win gave the Barnstormers a three-game sweep of the best-of-five Atlantic League Championship Series.

The win marks Lancaster’s third ALPB Championship as the Barnstormers also won in 2006 and 2014. All three of Lancaster's championships have come in series sweeps of the Atlantic League Championship Series. Ironically, all three titles have come in eight-year intervals. 

De La Cruz was sharp right from the start of the game. He threw a complete game, allowed just four hits, did not issue a walk, and struck out eight. The only run he allowed came on a second inning solo homer by High Point second baseman Tyler Ladendorf.

“Oscar threw the ball really well tonight and we couldn’t do much against him,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “They had a heckuva year and proved they were the best team in the league this season.”

High Point starter Craig Stem went 5.1 innings and allowed nine hits and six runs, though four of the runs were unearned.

The Barnstormers jumped on the board with three runs in the first inning. Shawon Dunston, Jr. drew a lead-off walk and Melvin Mercedes reached on a bunt single. With two aboard, Andretty Cordero hit into a 4-6-3 double play, leaving Duston at third. Ariel Sandoval’s ground ball to third resulted in a throwing error as Dunston crossed the plate with the first run of the game. Trayvon Robinson plated Sandoval with a double and then came around to score on Jacob Barfield’s single to left to give Lancaster a 3-0 lead.

The Rockers got a run back in the second on Tyler Ladendorf’s solo homer to left.

Lancaster extended its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second when Jake Hoover reached on a fielding error I the High Point infield. He moved to second on a grounder to first and then took third on a single by Dunson. Mercedes’ groundout to second brought Hoover home.

Trayvon Robinson hit a solo homer in the sixth to give the Barnstormers a 5-1 lead. Later in the inning, Hoover and Barfield each reached on singles as Trace Loehr sent a single up the middle to plate Barfield for a 6-1 advantage.

Following the Ladendorf homer, De La Cruz set dow 18 consecutive Rockers with the streak broken on Logan Moore’s eighth inning single. De La Cruz finished strong, setting down the final four Rockers he faced to seal the win.

SERIES NOTES:

• It is the first sweep in the League Championship Series since York swept Sugar Land 3-0 in 2017
• It is Lancaster’s third Atlantic League title and the third time the Barnstormers have swept the LCS
  • Swept Sugar Land 3-0 in 2014
  • Swept Bridgeport 3-0 in 2006
• It is the eighth time the League Championship Series has ended in a sweep