(September 14, 2021 – York, Pa.): James Harris belted a three-run homer and Austin Nicely picked up his seventh win as the York Revolution edged the Lancaster Barnstormers, 5-4 on Tuesday night at PeoplesBank Park. The win is the second straight for the Revs who move within 2.5 games of first place. York has also now won five straight head-to-head against Lancaster, moving within one game of taking the Community Cup for a second consecutive season.
Nicely (7-8) held Lancaster to four runs (three earned) over six innings for the win, while three relievers held the Barnstormers scoreless in another stout effort from the bullpen.
The Barnstormers started the scoring with two runs in the second. A pair of walks from Nicely had Kelly Dugan and Anderson De La Rosa on base with two outs. Lancaster got on the board with a pair of two-out RBI singles to left. The first belonged to Cleuluis Rondon and Trayvon Robinson followed suit for a 2-0 lead. Caleb Gindl made a bid at a third straight RBI single, but right fielder Welington Dotel nailed Rondon attempting to score for the final out.
York answered and took the lead, 4-2, in the fourth. With one out, Dotel singled to left and stole second. A double to the right field corner from Osmy Gregorio got the Revolution on the board as Dotel scored. Following the double, JC Encarnacion was hit by a pitch. With two outs on the board, Harris belted a three-run home run to left, giving York the 4-2 advantage.
Lancaster answered with two runs a half inning later. Robinson led off the fifth with an infield hit. After a fly out to center from Gindl, Melvin Mercedes reached on a walk. Cutting York’s lead to one, 4-3, Alejandro De Aza smacked a single up the middle to score Robinson. The Barnstormers tied it at 4-4 as Blake Gailen hit a groundball to short on which York got the force out at second on De Aza for the second out, but an errant throw to first from second baseman Jack Kenley allowed Gailen to reach and Mercedes to score from third for the tie.
Retaking the lead, York answered at the plate in their fifth. The first two batters reached as Nellie Rodriguez and Josue Herrera walked. Gregorio was hit by a pitch with one out to load the bases for Encarnacion. Plating Rodriguez, Encarnacion reached on an RBI fielder’s choice for a 5-4 Revs lead.
From there, York pitching stole the show. Nicely finished his outing by picking off LeDarious Clark at first base to end the sixth, stranding the tying run at third. Luis Sanchez was perfect in the seventh, and Brandon Fry stranded two in scoring position in the eighth. Jim Fuller logged a 1-2-3 ninth to close it out with his league-leading 23rd save.
York continues its final series of the season with Lancaster on Wednesday in a single admission, seven-inning doubleheader starting at 5:00 p.m. It is Lord of the Roses at PeoplesBank Park as York can clinch the Community Cup for a second straight season with a win. Eduardo Rivera (4-2, 4.50) starts Game One for York opposite Lancaster righty Zach Smith (1-4, 12.91). In the nightcap, lefty Shawn McFeggan (0-0, 0.00) will make his Revs debut. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: York leads the War of the Roses, 12-10. Harris’ homer is his 10th of the season and third in the last five games. Fuller’s 23rd save moves him ahead of Juan Rincon (2013) for sole possession of fourth place on the Revs’ single-season list, and ties him with Franklin Nunez (2007-08) for sixth on the Revs’ all-time career saves list.
