(Oct. 10, 2021 – Central Islip, NY): Nellie Rodriguez blasted his historic 25th home run and Jim Fuller nailed down his place in franchise history with his 29th save as the York Revolution nabbed their 30th win of the second half with a 9-6 victory over the Long Island Ducks in Sunday afternoon’s season finale at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
In a game that featured four lead changes and the Revs’ 33rd comeback victory of the season, York led by a run when Rodriguez launched a two-run homer to right in the top of the ninth to put the game away. His 25th home run of the season moved him into a tie for third on the Revs’ single-season home run list, matching Chris Nowak’s 2011 total. Rodriguez also broke a tie with teammate Melky Mesa for the Revs’ 2021 RBI lead with 81 on the year.
Fuller finished it with a perfect ninth, capping his season as Atlantic League saves leader with his 29th, moving into sole possession of second on the Revs’ single-season list while ranking fourth on the club’s all-time career list.
James Harris opened Sunday’s scoring with a first inning leadoff home run to left. It was his 14th home run of the season and third to lead off a game, tying the third most in both a season and career in Revs history.
The Ducks went ahead 2-1 on a two-run single to left-center by Nick Bottari in the bottom of the first.
York rallied for three runs in the fourth to take its second lead of the game. After loading the bases on singles, Tyler Hill ripped the Revs’ fourth consecutive hit on a single to left, plating Osmy Gregorio to tie the game at 2-2. Harris legged out an RBI fielder’s choice for the go-ahead run and Jack Kenley cracked an RBI double to left-center to make it 4-2 on the Revs’ fifth hit of the inning.
Hector Sanchez smacked an RBI single to left-center in the bottom of the fourth, drawing the Ducks within a run at 4-3.
Mikey Reynolds led off the sixth for the Revs with a single up the middle and went first-to-third on JC Encarnacion’s base hit to right-center. That set up Reynolds to score on a double play ball for a 5-3 lead.
LJ Mazzilli yanked a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game at 5-5 for Long Island.
The Ducks went ahead 6-5 on a Steve Lombardozzi sac fly to center in the bottom of the seventh.
York answered right back as Josue Herrera and Gregorio singled to ignite the eighth before Reynolds walked to load the bases. Encarnacion launched a sac fly to center to tie the game at 6-6, and Hill lined a sac fly to right, plating Gregorio for a 7-6 lead.
Luis Sanchez (2-1) picked up the win, allowing just a run in the seventh. Isaac Sanchez held it down with a scoreless eighth inning.
York starter Duke von Schamann took a no-decision, charged with five runs across six innings of work.
The Revs ripped 15 hits, bunching together multiple hits in five separate innings, producing multiple runs in three separate innings. Gregorio and Reynolds led the way with three hits apiece.
The Revs finish the second half with a 30-30 record, and conclude the 2021 season with an overall mark of 56-64. York went 27-19 down the stretch after a 3-11 start to the half, and posted its first two winning months of the season in September (15-13) and October (6-3).