STORMERS FALL TO YORK ON WINDY DAY

Revs Capture Exhibition Opener

Ground balls and fly balls alike were playing tricks on both clubs at WellSpan Park Wednesday afternoon as the York Revolution tripped up the Lancaster Stormers, 8-7, in the exhibition opener for both clubs.

It was Lancaster’s fifth error of the afternoon that allowed York to score the winning run.  With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Christian Scafidi yielded a single and hit a batter to fill the bases.  Tomo Otosaka rolled a grounder to shortstop Slater Schield, who had made a couple of brilliant stops earlier in the game.  Schield, who was screened by a runner, was unable to make a clean play on the ball as Justin Connell strode home with the decisive tally.

Lancaster had taken its final lead of the afternoon on a solo homer by Mason Martin, a 415’ drive to right in the top of the eighth inning, but Frankie Tostado answered with a solo shot of his own to right center in the bottom half.

The Stormers had bolted out to a quick lead with five hits in the top of the first inning.  Nick Ward led off the game with a homer to right.  Schield reached when his wind blown popup dropped untouched in front of the pitcher’s mound.  Martin followed with a double into the right field corner.  Kelly Dugan and Joseph Carpenter each plated a run with a single into right field.

York answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, one scoring on a throwing error by catcher Alex Isola and the other on a ground out by Tostado on which Schield had made a diving stop up the middle.

Martin’s sac fly and a single up the middle by Isola lifted Lancaster’s lead back to three in the top of the third, but the Revs tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, one on a sac fly to left by Osvaldo Tovalinand two on a single to center by Jeffrey Wehler.  The Revs took their first lead in the sixth when Dugan misplayed a liner by Connell to right field, allowing Alerick Soularie to score.

The last two Atlantic League champions will meet again at Penn Medicine Park on Thursday afternoon.

NOTES:  Schield, Trace Loehr and Martin had two each of Lancaster’s nine hits on the day…Stephen Lacey turned in Lancaster’s most effective pitching performance, setting the side down in order with one strikeout in the seventh.