Ryan Dent matched his previous total for the season with a six-RBI performance Sunday afternoon as the York Revolution hammered their way past the Lancaster Barnstormers in a 10-9 slugfest at People’s Bank Park.
Dent’s sixth RBI proved to be the game winner in a contest where four different leads evaporated. In the bottom of the seventh, Kevin Munson appeared to be in control with two outs and a 0-2 count against Alexi Casilla. The next pitch slipped out of Munson’s hand, hitting Casilla in the back. Dent followed with a long double to right center, plating Casilla.
The Barnstormers were unable to recover despite leadoff singles in each of the final two innings.
Dent singled home the final two of three first inning runs for York, but Lancaster unleashed a huge attack off Stephen Janas in the top of the third, plating six runs.
Garrett Weber and Blake Gailen each homered in the inning to tie the game at 3-3. Caleb Gindl and Sean Halton both walked. K.C. Hobson followed with an RBI single to put Lancaster into the lead. Halton raced home on a wild pitch, and Hobson scored when Lastings Milledge whacked a single off Janas’ pitching hand.
Rico Noel, playing in only his third professional game at short, misgauged a slow hopper by Casilla with one out in the third, and his throw was late to first. Dent scorched a grounder past Noel that rolled all the way to the warning track in left center to drive in a run. Carlos Triunfel brought Dent home with a single into right.
After York tied the game with a bases loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth, the Barnstormers would take their second and last lead in the sixth. Trayvon Robinson and Weber each walked to open the inning. Noel singled to left center to lead the bases, and a single to right by Blake Gailen brought home one. Joe Van Meter struck out the next two to keep the Barnstormers from extending the lead.
York would jump back ahead in the bottom of the sixth as Dent followed a throwing error with a two-run bounder up the middle. Dent scored for the second time on a single to right by Jared Mitchell for a 9-7 edge.
It would not hold as controversy took over the top of the seventh. With one out, Milledge sliced a deep liner into right center. Mitchell raced over and made a diving attempt. Milledge was initially ruled out, but the call was overturned. Robinson walked for the third time in the game. De La Rosa and Noel each singled home a run to tie the game at 9-9.
Manny Corpas (1-0) picked up the win. Brad Allen recorded the final four outs for his sixth save.
Lancaster will open a three-game series at Bridgeport on Tuesday with left-hander Jarret Leverett (4-0) on the mound. Fans may tune into the Barnstormers YouTube Channel, beginning at 6:55.
NOTES: Hobson has 12 RBI in the last four games…York turned 10 double plays in the three-game series…Noel lost a five-game runs scored streak…Lancaster stole three bases in the game and now has 88 for the year…Gailen is five runs scored and 10 RBI away from the career Barnstormers records in those categories…Cody Hall finished the game for Lancaster and now has three walks and 37 strikeouts for the season…He was clocked at 98 mph on the radar gun.