(July 14, 2021 – Lancaster, Pa.): Four relievers combined to preserve an early lead as the York Revolution toppled the Lancaster Barnstormers, 7-4 on Wednesday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium. The Revs have won a season-high four consecutive games and have taken back-to-back series, and will go for a three-game sweep in Lancaster on Thursday night.
York scored first for the third straight night. In the first inning, JC Encarnacion worked a leadoff walk and stole second. Carlos Castro doubled to left with two outs for the early 1-0 lead.
Both teams traded runs in the second. York scored their second inning run on a base hit to left from Encarnacion, plating Jack Kenley from third.
For Lancaster, Nick Shumpert walked with two outs and Cleuluis Rondon followed with a double to right-center for a run, cutting York’s lead to 2-1.
York kept mashing in the third as Melky Mesa homered to right for the second straight game, his third long ball overall on the season. James Harris followed suit in the fourth with his first Revs home run, a two-run jack to left, for a 5-1 lead.
The Barnstormers cut York’s lead to 5-3 with a pair of fifth inning runs as Rondon was issued a walk to lead off the inning and Caleb Gindl pounced on the opportunity with his own two-run homer to right center. It spelled trouble for York starter Johan Lopez who had faced the minimum thanks to a pair of double plays the previous two innings, but was chased as the first four reached in the fifth.
Fellow lefty Edward Paredes (1-0) took over and after a hit batter loaded the bases with still no outs, retired three in-a-row to keep the lead intact, ultimately picking up the victory.
York succeeded in keeping Lancaster at arm’s length with two runs to answer in the sixth. Castro earned his second RBI double of the night on a ball that ricocheted off Lancaster righty Donald Goodson’s leg and into left field, and Josue Herrera walked with the bases loaded to push the Revs’ advantage back to four at 7-3.
Pulling back within three at 7-4, Rondon responded for Lancaster with a home run to right that plunked the tents on the right field deck in their half of the sixth inning, but that was the only blemish all night for the bullpen as Bruce Bell allowed just that run in his two innings and Victor Capellan logged his team-leading fifth hold with a scoreless eighth, working around two leadoff runners to retire three straight with the tying run at the plate.
Jim Fuller earned his 12th save, striking out Anthony Peroni to strand two in a scoreless ninth, capping York’s bullpen effort which totaled five innings and just one run allowed. Fuller has saved all four games on the current winning streak, becoming just the second Revs reliever to save four consecutive team games. Rommie Lewis was the last to accomplish the feat in 2014.
York wraps up the three-game series with Lancaster on Thursday. Duke von Schamann (2-4) takes the mound for York in the finale. The Barnstormers will call on Francisco Mendoza (0-0) for his third start. 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 Ray Jensen on the call.
