(September 8, 2021 – Lancaster, Pa.): The winner of Wednesday’s wild clash between the York Revolution and Lancaster Barnstormers is yet to be decided as strong rain and storms forced the game to be suspended with York leading 9-8 in the bottom of the 11th inning. The game will be resumed on Thursday at 6 p.m. prior to the regularly scheduled series finale.
Lancaster scored two unearned runs in the third for an early lead. With two on and two out, Blake Gailen smacked a ground ball under the glove of Jack Kenley at second. The error allowed Blake Allemand and Alejandro De Aza to score for the 2-0 advantage.
In the fourth, the Barnstormers added a run to go up 3-0 on two extra-base hits. Jake Hoover led off the inning with a triple to center. With a double to center, Nick Shumpert plated Hoover for the only run of the inning.
The Revs tied the game, 3-3 in the fifth. Lenin Rodriguez reached on a Lancaster throwing error to lead off for York. A single to left field followed from JC Encarnacion to put two on with no one out. After Kenley flied out to left, Melky Mesa put York on the board with a base hit up the middle, plating Rodriguez. For the 3-3 tie, Nellie Rodriguez drove in Encarnacion on an infield hit to third while Shumpert’s throw to first was off line, and Mesa rounded third to score on another Lancaster error.
LeDarious Clark gave Lancaster the lead again a half inning later. After a Blake Gailen single led off the bottom of the fifth, Clark reached on fielder’s choice as Gailen was forced out at second. Clark stole both second and third before scoring on a wild pitch from Revs starter Austin Nicely for a 4-3 lead.
York answered right back in the sixth with a two-out rally to re-tie the game at 4-4. Encarnacion walked and Kenley single to right, putting a runner in scoring position for Mesa. For his second RBI of the night, Mesa ripped another single to center and Encarnacion rushed home for the 4-4 tie. It was Mesa’s 27th RBI of the season against the Barnstormers, tying a club record for most RBI in one season against one opponent (James Shanks, 2010 vs. Lancaster).
After a scoreless seventh from both sides, Nellie Rodriguez briefly broke the stalemate with a solo home run to center in the eighth for a 5-4 margin on his 17th of the year.
The Barnstormers forced another tie with a run in their eighth inning at the plate. Lancaster loaded the bases as Kelly Dugan and Hoover walked before Cleuluis Rondon collected a pinch-hit single to right. For the 5-5 deadlock, Caleb Gindl drove a fly ball to left that was deep enough to score Dugan on a sac fly for the third tie of the night.
A winner could not be decided in nine innings as York went to extras for the sixth time in 2021. Osmy Gregorio started the 10th as the ghost runner at second. A sacrifice bunt from Lenin Rodriguez moved Gregorio to third with one out. Encarnacion emphatically put York in front with a triple to deep left center for the 6-5 lead.
Gindl again came through for Lancaster for the game’s fourth tie of the night. In the bottom of the 10th, a sac bunt from Hoover moved Anthony Peroni from second to third. After Rondon walked, Gindl hit a fly ball to right that was knocked back by the wind and caught by Welington Dotel. Peroni raced home to force another tie at 6-6 on another sacrifice fly.
The Revs forged ahead with three runs in the top of the 11th. Nellie Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk from Gailen who moved from first base to the mound in his seventh pitching appearance of the season. Pinch-hitter Andrew Dundon dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance Rodriguez and Mesa, who started the inning on second base, to second and third, respectively. After an intentional walk to Dotel, Josue Herrera ripped an RBI infield single that Allemand, who moved to first base defensively, knocked into foul territory. Allemand then made an errant flip, allowing Rodriguez to race home with the second run. Herrera found himself caught in a rundown after a pickoff attempt from Gailen but stayed alive, allowing Dotel to sprint home with the third run of the frame, extending the lead to 9-6. Another pickoff from Gailen resulted in the Revs running into a double play on the bases, concluding the half inning as they scrambled to attempt to finish the victory with the rain intensifying.
De Aza launched a two-run homer to lead off the bottom of the 11th, bringing Lancaster back within a run at 9-8. Victor Capellan retired Gailen on a foul pop up for the first out, but lost a lengthy battle with Clark who worked a walk as the skies opened and the game was called.
The game is the sixth regular season suspended contest in Revs history and first since 2018. Play will resume on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Thirty minutes after the conclusion of the suspended game, the two teams will play Thursday’s scheduled game which is now a seven-inning contest. Eduardo Rivera (4-2, 4.50) will head to the mound for the Revs. Righty Cameron Gann (2-0, 3.44) will start the series finale for the Barnstormers. 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 5:55 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
