(June 19, 2021 – York, Pa.): For the second time in three nights the York Revolution were victorious in an all-time classic in walk-off fashion, this time with Yan Sanchez playing the role of hero in a 2-1 win over the Lexington Legends on Saturday night at PeoplesBank Park. Austin Steinfort (eight innings) led a combined one-hitter on the mound as the Revs pulled within two games of first place in the Atlantic League’s North Division while snapping Lexington’s six-game winning streak. York will go for the series win on Sunday at 2 p.m.
For the second time in the series, Lexington got on the board first. In the third, Tillman Pugh was issued a walk to lead off the inning. Cole Sturgeon singled to right to move Pugh to third. Following a wild pitch from Steinfort, Pugh raced home from third for a 1-0 lead.
Both teams were held scoreless through the next three innings, but the Revs tied it in dramatic fashion in the seventh. With two outs and the bases empty, JC Encarnacion smacked a line drive to right for a single and Andrew Dundon was hit by a pitch to move Encarnacion into scoring position at second. That set the stage for Tyler Hill who delivered a two-out, two-strike base hit to left to score the running Encarnacion from second to make it a 1-1 tie.
York righty Bubby Rossman stranded a runner at third in a scoreless top of the ninth, while Lexington’s Ty’Relle Harris stranded a pair in the bottom of the ninth when third baseman Sam Claycamp made a diving pick on a hot shot off the bat of pinch-hitter Jack Kenley, making a bid to win it for York.
Jim Fuller (1-0) handled a scoreless top of the tenth against the top of the Legends order, stranding Pugh, who began the inning on second, at third base.
With John Sansone on at second to begin the bottom of the tenth, pinch-hitter Chris Vazquez executed a perfect sacrifice bunt. Lexington lefty Rob Carson (0-1) retired Darian Sandford on a pop up for the second out, but Sanchez came through in the clutch with the two-out walk-off single through the left side of the infield, sparking another on-field celebration as Sanchez was carried off on the shoulders of teammate Carlos Castro.
Steinfort pitched masterfully as he set a Revs career high with eight innings on the mound in his fourth start. The 6-foot-9 righthander allowed just one run on one hit, walked six, and struck out five.
Dustin Beggs was also impressive for Lexington, allowing just one run on five hits. He walked none and punched out five.
The Revs celebrate Father's Day in Sunday’s series finale. Every Sunday is Sunday Family Fun Day presented by Weis Markets: play catch on the field before the game (1-1:30pm), kids run the bases after the game, and Bark in the Park: well-mannered dogs can join their owners at the ballpark! Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: Steinfort has allowed just one run on three hits in 13.0 innings combined over his last two starts. The Revs have now claimed wins #500 and #501 all-time at PeoplesBank Park in walk-off fashion over the course of the last three days, while securing the 70th and 71st walk-off victories in stadium history. Sanchez extended his hitting streak to nine consecutive games in the game’s final at-bat. York improves to 2-1 in extras, 2-2 in walk-offs, 2-2 in final at-bat decisions, and 2-9 when trailing after six with both wins coming over the course of the last three nights. York is now 7-0 when allowing three runs or fewer. The one-hitter is the fourth in Revs history and first since Frank Gailey tossed a rain-shortened seven-inning one-hitter vs. Somerset on August 22, 2017. It is just the second one-hitter in a game of nine innings or longer in franchise history as the only other time it had occurred was September 18, 2012 at Sugar Land when Chris Waters allowed one hit and one base runner in a complete game shutout. Saturday marked the first ever extra-inning one-hitter in franchise history.
