For the third straight game, the Lancaster Barnstormers scored at least seven runs, but the difference this time was the Barnstormers won.

Lancaster got a strong outing from starter Rob Henkel, a good effort from the bullpen, another stellar offensive performance and errorless defense to beat the Long Island Ducks 8-5 at Clipper Magazine Stadium Wednesday night.

The win gives the Barnstormers a 3-2 record and puts them in a three-way tie with Somerset and Camden for first place in the Atlantic League South Division.

"(If) you don't walk people, you don't hit people and you don't make errors, that makes the game a little easier," Barnstormers manager Frank Klebe said, referring to the Wednesday win and the team's struggles in their previous two losses.

Henkel pitched 5.2 innings to win his second straight game. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits, but he struck out eight and only walked one.

"Henkel did a heck of a job getting us that deep in the game and giving us a chance," catcher Lance Burkhart said.

"He snapped the losing streak, and that's what he's supposed to do," Klebe said of Henkel.

At the start it looked like the Barnstormers' woes might continue when the Ducks took the lead in the first on Edgardo Alfonzo's two-run double.

But the Stormers came right back with three in the bottom of the first to take a lead they would never lose. Jutt Hileman, Burkhart and Chris Van Rossum all had RBI singles off Ducks starter and loser Pat Ahearne (1-1).

For Burkhart it was the first of three hits in the game. He also had a double and scored in the fourth. For the season he is hitting .750 (9-for-12), and he has four doubles and four RBIs.

"I'm just trying to get a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it," Burkhart said "I feel good. I feel pretty comfortable."

"He's hitting it hard," Klebe said of Burkhart. "He's seeing everything, and he's not getting fooled at the plate."

The Barnstomers made it 5-2 when they added runs in both the second and third on RBI groundouts by Danny Gonzalez and Steve Van Note.

In the fourth the Ducks got to within a run. Jorge Piedra hit a homer onto the picnic canopy in right off Henkel, and Damian Rolls tripled and scored on a Jared Price sac fly to make it 5-4.

The Barnstormers added two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth, and each of the teams scored a run in the seventh.

Todd Pennington pitched an inning, allowing the Ducks' final run. Setup guy Derrick DePriest went 1.1, and closer James Lira pitched a scorelesss ninth for his first save of the season.

"The bullpen was outstanding again," Klebe said. "DePriest set up, Lira closed and Penny got us there."

Commenting on two straight good starts by Henkel to open the season Klebe said, "That's why he's a No. 1, and we've got another No. 1 (Josh Stevens) going tomorrow."

Notes: Outfielder Clyde Williams is leaving the Barnstormers to play with Tijuana of the Mexican League. Williams may return to the Barnstormers when the Mexican League ends July 31. … Second baseman Bo Hart missed Wednesday's game. He left in the sixth inning Tuesday after getting hit on the left elbow by a James Garcia pitch. He was available to pinch run and for defense and is day-to-day for the starting lineup. … Right-hander Manny Vazquez-Santiago went on the seven-day disabled list Tuesday with a bicep injury. … Derek Griffith, a lefty who threw two scoreless innings for the Barnstormers in spring training, is expected to join the team today and is scheduled to pitch the second game of the doubleheader at Long Island on Saturday. Griffith was released by Clearwater (the Phillies Class A affiliate) last month. … Hileman was 1-3 Wednesday vs. Ahearne. He is 15-35 with two homers and a triple and now has an 11-game hitting streak in games vs. Ahearne.

E-mail: bwilson@lnpnews.com