(September 13, 2022 – Lancaster, Pa.): The York Revolution launched three homers on Tuesday night but came up short in their attempt to hold on to the Community Cup, dropping the final series opener against the Lancaster Barnstormers by a 10-4 score at Clipper Magazine Stadium. In the process, the Barnstormers clinched the second half North Division championship, making them postseason bound for the first time since 2018.
York starter Ben Herrick was greeted by Shawon Dunston Jr. who drove a ball over the short porch in right for his second homer of the year, a leadoff shot in his first at bat since August 6th in his return from injury. Melvin Mercedes followed with a single and advanced on an error, and Anderson Feliz drove him in with an opposite field double of his own, spotting Lancaster an early 2-0 lead.
Nellie Rodriguez and Melky Mesa did not wait long to answer, both going the other way to right field for home runs, the second time the duo has gone back-to-back in just four days, quickly tying the game at 2-2.
The Barnstormers had the first two reach on singles in the third before they were advanced on a Trace Loehr sacrifice bunt. Back at the top of the order, Lancaster got three straight RBI hits, singles from Dunston and Mercedes, before an Andretty Cordero double made it 5-2.
The Revs countered in unique fashion in the fourth. It began with one out as Rodriguez set a new Atlantic League record, walking for the 106th time on the season, passing the 2019 number set by teammate Telvin Nash. The next two reached to load the bases with one out for Elmer Reyes, who hit a slow tapper in front of the plate on which the Barnstormers thought they had turned an inning ending 2-3 double play. Home plate umpire Scott Hart ruled that catcher Anthony Peroni never stepped on the plate for the force, however, allowing Rodriguez to score to make it 5-3.
The next inning it became a one-run game thanks to a two-out homer to right center from Jhon Nunez, as his sixth of the season cut the score to 5-4 Barnstormers.
With the Revs attempting to keep their designated hitter in the game, Herrick stayed on the hill for the bottom of the fifth. The inning started with a two-base error off the bat of Jake Hoover, on a grounder which kicked off the glove of third baseman Josue Herrera into shallow left field. With Hoover at third and the infield in with one away, Dunston Jr. hit a popup to shallow left field. Mesa, who was playing deep, came all the way in near the infield dirt but was unable to run it down, giving Dunston Jr. a four-hit night with three RBI as the lead grew to 6-4. Two batters later, Cordero scorched a grounder down the third base line which scored a runner all the way from first to make it 7-4. It was the league-leading 175th hit of the season for Cordero, a new Lancaster single-season record.
After reliever Carlos Ventura faced the minimum in the sixth thanks to a strike out, throw out double play, the Barnstormers got some insurance against him in the seventh. Hoover led it off with a bloop double to right field and scored on a Loehr base hit up the middle. Cordero continued his hot night with another double, scoring two more to make it 10-4 Lancaster.
Cam Booser locked things down with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, giving the Barnstormers the win, and both a War of the Roses and 2nd half division championship, their first playoff berth since 2018.
With five games to go, York drops to 53-74 on the season and will look to even the series in Lancaster on Wednesday night with Austin Mora taking the mound for his second Revolution start, getting underway at 6:30 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and the WOYK YouTube channel beginning at 6:10 p.m. with Darrell Henry and Jake Ness on the call.
Notes: The Barnstormers now lead the season series 17-13, also claiming the Community Cup for the first time since 2018. Lancaster’s bullpen combined to retire the final 12 Revs batters faced. Doug Olcese tossed a 1-2-3 eighth out of the York ‘pen. Rodriguez’ home run was his 24th of the year, tied for sixth-most in a season in Revs history and one shy of matching his total from last year. Mesa’s home run was his 16th of the year and 74th of his Revs career, second-most all-time.
