Lancaster completes ALPB series sweep

Oct. 4—LANCASTER, Penn. — 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.

"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. But Craig Stem threw the ball really well and kept us in the game."

High Point's only run came on a solo homer by Tyler Ladendorf in the second inning.

De La Cruz threw a complete game, allowed the Rockers just four hits and struck out eight while not issuing a walk.

Lancaster scored three runs in the first, using a walk, a single and an infield throwing error by the Rockers. Shawon Dunston scored on the error before Trayvon Robinson doubled home a run and Jacob Barfield added an RBI single. Robinson added a solo homer in the sixth for the 'Stormers.

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

GOZZO NAMED MANAGER OF YEAR

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball on Monday named Gastonia's Mauro "Goose" Gozzo as the Manager of the Year in voting conducted by the league's managers, coaches and front office staffs.

Gozzo led the Gastonia Honey Hunters to both the first and second half South Division Championships in 2022. The Honey Hunters won the first half title by six games over the High Point Rockers and the second half title by 10 games over the Lexington Legends. Gastonia's 88 wins during the regular season were the most in the ALPB this season

Gozzo led the second-year franchise into the playoffs for the first time in 2022. The Honey Hunters' overall .667 winning percentage was the second-highest in ALPB history, trailing only the 2013 Sugar Land Skeeters who posted a .679 (95-45) winning percentage. In addition, Gastonia's 88 regular season wins rank as the fourth-most in a season in ALPB history.

The former Major League pitcher with Toronto, Cleveland, Minnesota and the New York Mets, Gozzo recently completed his third year managing in the Atlantic League. He started with New Britain in 2019 before moving to Gastonia in 2021. The Honey Hunters showed a 34-game improvement over last year, going from 54 wins to 88 victories in 2022.