EARLY YORK SURGE KEEPS LANCASTER FROM SWEEP

‘Stormers Fall, 9-6

Nellie Rodriguez slugged a three-run homer in the first inning, and York took advantage of a leadoff error in the third as the Revolution avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Lancaster Barnstormers with a 9-6 win Tuesday evening at WellSpan Park.

York moved back into a first place tie with Southern Maryland in the North while the Barnstormers dropped into third, just one-half game behind the frontrunners.  The Revolution also moved to within one game of clinching the 2023 War of the Roses with a 10-5 lead in the 21-game series.

In the bottom of the first inning, York reached Nile Ball (6-5) for four hits on the first five batters.  Trent Giambrone opened the inning with a single to center and was forced at second by Tomo Otosaka.  Troy Stokes, Jr. placed a hit-and-run single through the right side, chasing Otosaka to third.  Drew Mendoza plated the first run with a ground single into right before Rodriguez slugged his 18^th homer of the year, a drive into the yellow tents above the right field wall.

The Barnstormers were able to battle back into a tie in the third inning.  Trace Loehr singled to left with one out, and Pedro Vasquez (6-1) walked the next two.  Andretty Cordero pounded a three-run double to dead center to reduce the lead to one.  Ariel Sandoval tied the game with a single to center.

However, a defensive mistake enabled York to take the lead for good.  Otosaka hit a grounder to first baseman Wilson Garcia, but Ball dropped the toss to first.  Stokes hit a soft liner to second for the first out.  Mendoza ripped a double into the right field corner to get Otosaka to third.  Lancaster opted to walk Rodriguez, but Jacob Rhinesmith drilled the next pitch into right for an RBI single.  Richard Urena lined out to first for the second out, but Jhon Nunez ripped a two-run single into right.

York would score again in the fourth on a bases loaded force play grounder by Stokes.  Urena homered to open the fifth as the Revs built the lead to 9-4.

Lancaster was able to pick up single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but both frames could have produced more. 

Joseph Carpenter opened the sixth with the second of his three singles on the night and went to third when Shawon Dunston, Jr. singled into right.  However, Dunston was picked off first by right-hander Nick Parker, and Lancaster was limited to one run on an RBI bloop single by Trace Loehr.  In the seventh, Cordero singled and Sandoval doubled to place runners at second and third.  Wilson Garcia cut the York lead to 9-6 with a sacrifice fly to left.  Carpenter added another single to get Dunston to the plate as the potential tying run.

Nelvin Correa got Dunston to line into a double play to end the inning.  Correa would pitch the eighth before J.P. Woodward pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

Lancaster will entertain the Spire City (Frederick, MD) Ghost Hounds in the opener of a three-game series on Friday evening.  Jeff Bain (2-2) will take the hill against Dustin Beggs (3-8).  Fans may tune into FloBaseball, beginning at 6:25.

NOTES:  Cordero reached 200 RBI in 221 Atlantic League games…Sandoval boosted his average back to .364…Carpenter extended his hitting streak to nine…Lancaster’s bullpen threw three more scoreless innings…The bullpen ERA is 1.45 over the last 13 games…There were seven double plays in the game – three ground ball DP’s on both sides and the Dunston liner…Sandoval, Carpenter and Loehr had three hits apiece out of Lancaster’s 13.