The Lancaster Barnstormers' Lloyd Turner was a hero for a half-inning and then things went south for the 'Stormers. Due to a sore knee, the second baseman was not in the lineup against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Wednesday night.

But with Lancaster trailing in the seventh inning, Turner pinch-hit and pounded a pitch from Blue Crabs starter Craig Anderson onto the grassy hill beyond the left-field wall for a three-run homer that tied the game, 5-5.

Unfortunately for Turner, and his teammates, the Blue Crabs scored three unearned runs the very next inning, on a homer by Ben Harrison, and went on to win 8-6.

The win gave the Crabs victories in the final two contests of the three-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium and, combined with the Somerset Patriots 3-2 win over Camden, dropped Lancaster three games back of the Pats in the Freedom Division.

And, realistically, the lead should be viewed as four games because Somerset takes the tiebreaker if the teams end up deadlocked at the end of the second half.

But Lancaster manager Tom Herr is pleased with his team's effort. "We're OK," the 'Stormers skipper said. "We just need to take care of our business. I like the way we're playing right now.

"We had a little bit of tough luck tonight and last (Tuesday) night (when the Barnstormers lost a 16-inning game) against these guys. … I was worried because they're a good team. We had seven games with Southern Maryland (four in Maryland and three in Lancaster). We won four out of seven. If you'd have told me that would be the case (beforehand), I'd have taken it."

Lancaster's problems Wednesday began with two outs in the first when former Barnstormer Eric Crozier hit a 1-2 Jason Simontacchi pitch for his 20th home run to give the Crabs the lead.

The Crabs followed Crozier's bomb with two singles (one that shortstop Bryant Nelson fielded deep in the hole and then bounced a throw that first baseman Adam Witter couldn't handle).

Richard Giannotti followed with a three-run homer that gave the Crabs a 4-0 lead.

Simontacchi settled down after that, pitching six more innings and giving up just one more run — a solo homer to Travis Howell that started the seventh inning.

"I thought Simontacchi really pitched well," Herr said. "Giannotti caught up with one with a couple guys on, but after that he settled in and really pitched well."

 Reggie Taylor hit solo homers in both the second and the seventh (when Lancaster scored four (three on Turner's homer) to tie the game.

Taylor, who did not play his first game for Lancaster until May 29, is now tied with former Barnstormer Jason Perry, who retired Aug. 12, for the league lead in homers.

"This ballpark is tailor-made for him, if you'll pardon the pun," Herr said of Taylor, who had four homers in the series." He's good at hitting it in the air when he pulls the ball. Some guys when they pull, they hit it on the ground. But he's been really good and he's really hot now."

Rick Bauer relieved Simontacchi to start the eighth. Crozier singled and Travis Garcia, with Crozier running, hit a grounder to short. Nelson fielded the ball but bounced the throw to Witter and the Crabs had two on with no outs.

It looked like Bauer might get out of the inning without giving up a run when Jeremy Owens ran into a ball he bunted for the first out and Giannotti grounded to Witter. But Harrison deposited a 1-1 Bauer pitch over the wall in right center giving the Crabs the lead for good.

"I was happy with the way Rick threw the ball," Herr said of the righty who fell to 0-3. He deserved better than three unearned runs. He really only made one bad pitch. That was the home run. Guy hits a wind-blown home run that is out here but nowhere else."

Aaron Herr hit his 19th homer of the season with two outs in the eighth to give Lancaster their final run. Herr had hit some balls hard in the series, but was 0-13 in the three-game set before the home run.

Lancaster will now try to beat Camden in a four-game series at Clipper Magazine Stadium. At the same time, they will be rooting for the Crabs, who go home to host Somerset for four.

bwilson@lnpnews.com