(May 8, 2021 – York, Pa.): Down to the final out, Melky Mesa blasted a game-tying three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning as the York Revolution forced extra innings, but ultimately fell to the High Point Rockers 8-7 in eight innings, following a 5-1 defeat in the opener of a Mother’s Day doubleheader sweep at PeoplesBank Park. Mesa’s home run was the 59th of his Revs career, moving him into a tie with Chris Nowak (2011-12) for third most in franchise history. York will look to avoid the series sweep on Monday morning with a seven-inning rain makeup contest beginning at 11 a.m.
Sunday’s doubleheader was marred by a plethora of missed chances as the Revs dropped to 3-11, while High Point extended its winning streak to six, improving to 12-3 on the season.
It took until the sixth inning for York to muster its first hit in game one, but it was too little, too late.
Justin Nicolino was phenomenal for High Point, striking out four hitters, allowing just one run on three hits.
The Rockers scored a run in each of the first two innings off Revs starter Jorge Martinez. Quincy Latimore hit a bloop single to right field in the first to provide the first run, and Chris Proctor knocked in a run of his own in the second on a grounder up the middle.
Martinez (0-2) finished the day after five strong innings, allowing just the two runs and striking out two.
The Revs finally plated a run in the sixth inning when a Mesa single to left plated Yefri Perez who had led off the inning with a single, breaking up the no-hit bid.
That was the only run in the opener for York, however, as the Rockers scored three more runs in the seventh against debuting reliever Josh Martin who appeared to have a potential inning-ending double play ball off the bat of Jerry Downs. Instead, the inning continued and two batters later, Tyler Ladendorf’s bases-clearing double put the nail in the coffin on a 5-1 High Point victory.
In game two, York struck first on a two-run opposite field home run by Carlos Franco, his sixth of the year and third in the last three games.
York starter Duke von Schamann ran into trouble in the third, however. After being one strike away from ending the inning, he allowed a two-run double to left-center by Zander Weil, and three more two-out runs (Latimore RBI single, Michael Russell two-run double) before being lifted.
York loaded the bases with one away in the bottom of the third, but only came away with one run on an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Franco who collected three RBI in the game.
High Point pushed an insurance run across in the top of the seventh on another two-out single, this time from Michael Martinez, setting up closer Chasen Bradford for a save opportunity with a 6-3 lead.
After a leadoff single to right by Elmer Reyes, Bradford struck out the next two before running into trouble. After a potential game-ending fly ball was dropped by right fielder Jay Gonzalez, Mesa made him pay with a three-run game tying shot over the Arch Nemesis in left. It was the first of the year for Mesa, and the 59th of his Revs career, tying Nowak for third in franchise history.
York closer Jim Fuller (0-2) came in to pitch the top of the eighth but allowed a two-run homer to Ben Aklinski who had a 3-0 green light to lead off the extra frame.
In the final at-bats, Josue Herrera cut the deficit to one with an RBI single to right-center, but back-to-back ground outs induced by reliever Tanner Duncan stranded him as the tying run, and the Revs dropped game two by an 8-7 final.
York will look to avoid the sweep Monday morning at 11 a.m. when Nick Travieso takes the mound opposite High Point’s Jheyson Manzueta. The makeup date from Saturday’s rainout features free admission.
