(September 5, 2019 – Sugar Land, TX): The York Revolution saw a late lead slip away but responded with a huge 10th inning, defeating the Sugar Land Skeeters 10-8 in 10 innings in Thursday’s series finale at Constellation Field. The win gives the Revs, now 32-21 in the second half, a two-game lead for first place over Sugar Land with 17 games remaining in the regular season before returning home to kick off a three-game weekend series against Southern Maryland on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Sugar Land struck first in the bottom of the first inning on a Zach Borenstein RBI double to deep right for a 1-0 lead, but the Revs answered quickly.
York rallied for three runs on five base hits in the top of the second, going in front 3-1. Isaias Tejeda led things off with a two-strike single to left-center to get things jumpstarted. With one out, Melky Mesa singled to left, and Ryan Dent followed with an RBI single to right, tying the game. Henry Castillo pulled a ground single through the right side to plate Mesa, and Alvaro Rondon extended his hitting streak to six with an RBI single up the middle.
York added two more in the third as Carlos Franco kept the inning alive with a two-out single to left-center, and Mesa slammed a two-run homer to left, his 16th of the year to increase the lead to 5-1.
The Skeeters cut the lead to 5-3 with a pair of two-out runs in the fifth. Wynton Bernard walked to keep the inning alive and Juan Silverio singled to left to put runners at the corners. Silverio stole second to put two in scoring position, and Borenstein capitalized with a two-run single to right, cutting York’s lead to 5-3.
It remained that way until the eighth when Mesa connected on his second home run of the night, a solo shot hooked inside the left field foul pole off reliever Daniel Gibson to increase the lead to 6-3. It marked the second straight four-hit game for Mesa, his team-leading fourth game of four hits on the season, and his fifth career multi-homer game with the Revs (third this season).
Sugar Land battled back, however, scoring twice in the eighth without a hit to pull within a run. Silverio drew a walk to start the inning, and a Borenstein hit by pitch put the first two men on. A double steal advanced both before a one-out balk by lefty Cesar Cabral plated Silverio. Denis Phipps’ RBI ground out brought home Borenstein to cut the York lead to 6-5.
Sugar Land drew even with one more run in the ninth. It was another leadoff walk, this time to Martinson, who advanced on a stolen base with no outs. Pinch-hitter Cody Stanley ripped an RBI single into right, tying the game at 6-6 and handing the Revs’ their third blown save in the last two games and fourth late lead to be erased the last two nights. Josh Judy bounced back, however, forcing extra innings by escaping a bases loaded no-out jam to strand all three runners.
The Revs exploded for four runs in the top of the 10th inning, tying a franchise record for most runs in a 10th inning and marking their most runs in any extra inning since the 2016 season. It all started as Franco pulled a grounder to second, advancing Tejeda to third with one out. Mesa drew a walk and stole second, setting the stage for Dent who smashed a two-run single past Silverio at third, putting York on top 8-6. Castillo followed by nailing an RBI double to the gap in left-center and later scored on a Welington Dotel sac fly to give York the 10-6 cushion.
Sugar Land scored on a wild pitch and a sac fly by Blair Beck in the bottom of the 10th, but righty Phil Walby retired Wynton Bernard on a fly out to right, stranding a runner and lifting the Revs to the wild extra inning win.
Notes: Mesa has nine hits in his last 11 at-bats including two homers in Thursday’s game, and two doubles and a triple in Wednesday’s contest. York concludes the regular season series 9-11 against Sugar Land, 3-7 at Constellation Field. The Revs improve to 4-8 in extra-inning games (3-2 vs. Sugar Land). York earned its 10th last at-bat victory of the season and fourth since August 25. Dent enjoyed a season-high four-hit game going 4-for-5 with three RBI and finishing the series 7-for-12 at the plate. Castillo posted three hits for the second straight night and followed a three-RBI game on Wednesday with two RBI in Thursday’s contest. Rondon went 2-for-4 and reached base three out of five times; he is now 10-for-20 on a six-game hitting streak and has reached safely 14 of 24 trips to the plate during that span. York righty Duke von Schamann (8-5, 3.44) will start Friday’s opener at home against Southern Maryland. It is Bullying is Out Night presented by Planet Fitness, featuring a Jersey Auction presented by Planet Fitness to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters. It is also Multi Faith & Family Night presented by CommunityAid. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
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