(May 15, 2022 – Lancaster, Pa.): It was a beautiful, sunny Sunday at Clipper Magazine Stadium as the York Revolution looked for a sweep of the Lancaster Barnstormers, although you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. In a game that saw a bench clearing confrontation, five hit by pitches, and four ejections, the Barnstormers were able to avoid the sweep with a 7-6 win.
Troy Stokes Jr. got the scoring going early with a solo home run to left three pitches into the game. He later doubled the lead in the third inning with his second on the day, and third on the season with a solo shot to right-center. Elmer Reyes was hit on the first pitch the following at-bat, and that would be important context for the next half inning.
Jake Hoover led off the bottom of the third and saw the second pitch sail over his head from Nick Travieso whose teammates had been hit for the eighth time in six games in Lancaster this season. Warnings were issued on both sides, but that would not be the end of the theatrics for the afternoon. The biggest bang of the inning was a bases-clearing three-run double to right-center with two outs from Anderson Feliz, making it a four-run inning as Lancaster took a 4-2 lead.
The Revs got a run back in the top of the fifth as Melky Mesa walked with the bases loaded, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
Kelly Dugan answered back with his fifth home run in as many games against the Revs to once again make it a two-run Lancaster lead at 5-3 after five innings.
Travieso (1-2) finished the day after five innings, charged with five runs on four hits while striking out four.
For the next act in a series of chip away efforts by the Revs, JC Encarnacion tripled to deep center field in the top of the sixth and came across to score on a two-out bloop RBI single to left from Jack Kenley, drawing within 5-4.
Lancaster answered with two runs in the bottom half thanks to a Devon Torrence RBI single and a LeDarious Clark run-scoring groundout making it a 7-4 game.
The top of the seventh is where things got messy. On a 3-1 pitch, Stokes Jr was drilled in the back by Lancaster reliever Tyler Suellentrop and benches emptied. The scrum and ensuing discussions resulted in a 20-minute delay and four ejections including Suellentrop and Lancaster manager Ross Peeples. First base coach Sandy DeLeon was ejected from York’s side, while catcher Colton Shaver was sent packing from the Barnstormers bench.
Hoping to use the skirmish to boost their momentum, the Revs got two more back on an RBI base hit to right-center from Mesa and a ground-rule double to deep left-center from Carlos Franco to cut it to a one-run game.
That would be all for York, however, as Josh Graham set down the last six he faced, including striking out the side in the ninth for his first save, giving Lancaster the 7-6 win.
The fun will continue in York at PeoplesBank Park this week, beginning a three game set on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with Alex Sanabia getting the ball against Lancaster’s Brent Teller. It is Betty White Tribute Night, a WellSpan Sports Medicine Silver Slugger Tuesday, and Baseball Bingo presented by Edgar Snyder and Associates. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: The Revs have now been hit nine times by Lancaster pitchers in six games this season. Mesa’s seventh-inning single extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Stokes Jr. notched the Revs’ second multi-homer game of the year (Carlos Franco, May 5 vs Gastonia) and the third multi-homer game of his career (2015 with Helena, 2018 with Biloxi).
