Stormers Rally for Delayed Win
Quincy Hamilton drilled a two-run homer to right field in the top of the ninth inning to give the Lancaster Stormers an 8-6 lead at WellSpan Park.
Ryley Gilliam had the lights go out on him while warming up for the bottom of the inning. The Lancaster right-hander had to wait an extra 17 minutes before closing things out, barely holding on for an 8-7 win over the host York Revolution.
The victory ended a four-game losing streak by the Stormers at the hands of the Revs.
Nick Ward drew a two-out walk off Brendan Cellucci (1-1) in the top of the ninth before Hamilton yanked a 1-1 pitch over the boards in right to break the tie.
Gilliam (2-1) had retired the side in order in the eighth, and was ready to work the ninth when the light standards went out, one-by-one, reportedly because a stadium employee thought it was time for the post-game fireworks.
When play finally resumed, Shayne Fontana led off with a homer over the tall left field wall. Catcher Chris Williams was hit by a pitch. Miles Simington took Nick Lucky into the left center field gap to haul in a deep fly ball for the first out. Pinch hitter Jeremy Arocho singled into left to move the tying run to second. Gilliam responded, striking out Jaylin Davis and Elvis Peralta to end the night.
York struck for four runs in the bottom of the first off Lancaster ace Noah Skirrow, and it appeared that the Revs were on the way to a fifth straight easy win.
Nick Lucky had other plans. The Lancaster center fielder slugged a solo homer in the bottom of the second and tied the score with a three-run shot off starter Alex Valverde in the fourth.
Jalen Miller’s homer, his fourth hit of the night, rebuilt a 6-4 lead for the Revs in the bottom of the sixth. Following that, York loaded the bases, but Lucky made a sliding catch in left center on a sinking liner by Simington to end the inning.
The Stormers again fought back from adversity against the strong and deep York bullpen. Alex Isola picked up a walk from Nick Bennett leading off the seventh. With one out, Yeison Coca doubled into the right field corner. York switched to right-hander Nick Mikolajchak, who yielded a sac fly to center, and Nick Ward dumped a single into shallow left center to tie the game.
The eighth got off to a false start with Lancaster leaving runners at first and second. Hamilton donned the hero’s cloak, and the Stormers are guaranteed to have the division lead heading into the upcoming week.
Luke McCollough (0-3) will take the hill on Sunday afternoon against lefty Braden Scott (0-0). Fans may tune in on FloBaseball at 12:55.
NOTES: Lucky’s two-homer game was his first of the season and second as a Stormer…He pulled to within one RBI of Mason Martin’s team-leading total of 84…Skirrow was lifted after only 3 1/3 innings, his shortest start of the year…The Lancaster rally kept the right-hander from losing for the first time since June 18…He struck out for along the way and leads the league with 137…That is eight shy of the franchise record, held by Cameron Gann (2022).