Lancaster ends Gastonia’s 12-game streak with 12-run first inning

Lancaster turned Saturday evening at Penn Medicine Park into a 12-5 victory over Gastonia, sending 15 batters to the plate and scoring 12 runs in the first inning. The Stormers ended the Ghost Peppers’ 12-game winning streak with a burst that included Nathan Martorella’s three-run homer and Joseph Carpenter’s grand slam.

Cory Rosier started the rally with a single. David Smith drew a walk, Martorella launched his three-run shot to right, and after Duane Underwood, Jr. got the first out, Joe DeLuca singled before the inning unraveled further when Underwood left with an injury. Evan Long came out of the bullpen and walked four, allowed an infield hit and then watched Eddie Leon add more free passes that forced in runs before Carpenter finished the frame with a grand slam, his 50th home run in a Lancaster uniform.

Jason Bollman made sure Lancaster never needed another outburst. He escaped an early jam with a line-drive double play in the first, then worked behind the huge cushion until two outs in the ninth. Bollman struck out a season-high eight and walked one. Lancaster’s 12-run inning was its biggest since June 5, 2025, when it scored 12 in the sixth inning against Hagerstown.

The Ghost Peppers entered with 12 straight victories, had reached 14 earlier in the week and had climbed within one win of the Atlantic League’s all-time consecutive wins record of 15. That mark is shared by Lancaster, which won 15 in a row from May 26 to June 12, 2024, and the former Somerset Patriots, who did it from June 1 to June 15, 2000. Gastonia’s streak began with an 8-6 win at Long Island on May 16, 2026, and included sweeps of Charleston and Lexington before Lancaster halted it.

The teams met again Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., with Kyle Lazer scheduled to start for Lancaster and Connor Grey lined up for Gastonia.