GASTONIA, N.C. — The Lancaster Barnstormers captured their second straight Atlantic League baseball title Sunday night with a 7-1 victory over the Gastonia (N.C.) Honey Hunters.
The Barnstormers won the final two games of the best-of-five series to fend off Gastonia for the championship, their fourth overall.
Pitcher Brent Teller went seven strong innings for Lancaster, allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out seven. He gave up a solo home run in the second inning, but was almost unhittable after that.
Teller, who had another strong performance on the mound without a decision in Lancaster's 3-2 victory in Game 1, was voted the Most Valuable Player of the series.
Here are some notes about Lancaster's championship victory and its place in the team's strong history:
BACK-TO-BACK: Lancaster is the first Atlantic League team in 10 years to win consecutive championships. Since the Atlantic League was founded in 1998, only three other teams have won consecutive titles: the Somerset Patriots (2008-09), the York Revolution (2010-11), and the Long Island Ducks (2012-13).
WE'RE TALKIN' ABOUT PLAYOFFS: Lancaster's series-clinching victory over Gastonia Sunday night raised the Barnstormers' overall record in the Atlantic League playoffs to 33-18, the highest postseason winning percentage in league history.
MOVING UP THE LIST: Lancaster's four Atlantic League titles are tied with the Long Island Ducks for No. 2 on the league's all-time list.
Only the Somerset Patriots have won more, with six championships in their trophy case. Somerset's last title came in 2015.
The Patriots are no longer in the Atlantic League; they are now the Class AA affiliate of the New York Yankees in the Eastern League -- home of the Harrisburg Senators and Reading Phillies. Somerset won an Eastern League title in 2022 and made the playoffs again this season.
SMALL BALL: Lancaster won the best-of-five series with Gastonia without a single home run, using small-ball tactics to succeed instead. The Barnstormers stole 11 bases in the last two games of the series.
CORDERO SPARKS OFFENSE: Alfreddy Cordero paced the Barnstormers' offense in Game Five by going 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs.
Cordero batted .450 (9-for-20) with five RBIs in the series for Lancaster. He finished the regular season as the Atlantic League's second-ranked hitter, batting .339 with 15 home runs, a league-high 116 RBIs, 40 doubles, 83 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases.
ANOTHER TITLE FOR 'THE MAYOR': Sunday's win gave manager Ross Peeples his second league championship as Lancaster's skipper. The former Barnstormers pitcher has a 392-388 overall record in six seasons in the dugout, and was voted the league's Manager of the Year after his first season in 2017. He has led the Barnstormers to the playoffs four times.
Peeples traces his Barnstormers history back to the team's inaugural season in 2005, when he joined the squad as a starting pitcher. He spent 10 seasons in Lancaster as a player, helping the Barnstormers earn a pair of Atlantic League titles before leaving as the team's all-time leader in innings pitched and strikeouts.
After his playing days ended, Peeples continued to serve as Lancaster's bench coach and had an administrative role in the front office before being named the team's manager prior to the 2017 season.
A CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION: Lancaster fans can welcome the Barnstormers home and celebrate another league championship Monday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Peeples will join Lancaster broadcaster Dave Collins to discuss the Barnstormers' series win in North Carolina, along with a limited number of players.
"The Lancaster community is invited to join us for a brief celebration of the Lancaster Barnstormers’ fourth Atlantic League title, captured on Sunday afternoon with a 7-1 win over the Gastonia Honey Hunters in Game Five of the best-of-five series," the team announced.