(May 18, 2022 – York, Pa.): Austin Nicely worked seven strong innings for the second straight start but the York Revolution fell to the Lancaster Barnstormers, 6-3 on Wednesday night at PeoplesBank Park, setting up a series rubber match on Thursday morning.
Lancaster scored two early runs as Kelly Dugan started things in the first with an RBI groundout, and it was Dugan again with a single in the third inning to give the Barnstormers a 2-0 advantage.
The Revs struggled through four innings against Lancaster starter Augie Sylk before getting the offense going in the fifth. After JC Encarnacion led off the inning with a single to left, he was knocked in two batters later with a Lenin Rodriguez RBI double down the left field line. With two outs in the inning, Elmer Reyes drove an RBI double into the left field corner to tie things at 2-2.
Lancaster answered back in the top of the sixth. LeDarious Clark reached on a one-out double to left-center. Clark was able to steal third base, which set him up to score on an RBI groundout from Andretty Cordero to put Lancaster back ahead, 3-2.
York looked to threaten again in the sixth, as Nellie Rodriguez and Carlos Franco reached on back-to-back walks to start the inning, ending the night for Sylk. Righty Chase Johnson entered to set down the next three in relief, however, including two strikeouts as the Revs were unable to find the equalizer the rest of the night.
The Barnstormers added an insurance run against reliever Isaac Sanchez in the eighth, scoring when Clark bled a broken bat double down the right field line to make it 4-2.
The Revs would put two on with two away in the eighth against Tyler Suellentrop after Encarnacion hustled out an infield single, but a pinch-hitting Jack Kenley hit a tapper back to the mound to end the inning.
Lancaster tacked on two more runs in the ninth. The Revs enlisted Alberto Rodriguez for the ninth inning, and he was greeted by a Connor Lien double. Two batters later, BJ Boyd knocked in his first run as a Barnstormer on a single, and Colton Shaver added another with a double.
Josh Graham closed out the game for Lancaster. Lenin Rodriguez doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a Reyes single, but that was all York could muster, dropping it 6-3.
The two will meet in a rubber match on Baseball in Education Day, Thursday at 11 a.m. Merandy Gonzalez will make his second start for York against Nile Ball. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: Nicely (0-4) allowed three runs in seven innings, going at least seven for the second straight start. Melky Mesa saw a 12-game hitting streak come to an end. Mesa did pick up two outfield assists, giving him 24 for his Revs career, trailing only Scott Grimes (32) and James Shanks (29) on the franchise’s all-time list. Troy Stokes Jr. also added an assist from right field as the Revs totaled three outfield assists on the night. Lancaster’s 12-game road losing streak was halted as the Barnstormers earned their first road win since Opening Night.
