(July 12, 2024 – Staten Island, NY): The York Revolution erased a pair of deficits and broke through in the eighth for a 6-4 win over the Staten Island FerryHawks on Friday night at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park.
York trailed early as Staten Island scored three times in the first. Kolby Johnson led off with a home run to left and Ben Norman added a broken bat two-run single with two outs in the inning to make it a 3-0 lead.
Revs starter Aaron Fletcher settled in and was tough over the remainder of his six innings, allowing the Revs time to get their offense going.
After stranding two runners in each of the first two innings, Staten Island starter Christian Capuano retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts in the third, having allowed just one run in 15 innings against the Revs this season to that point.
York turned things around in the fourth, tying the game for the first time. Jacob Rhinesmith ripped a leadoff double that caromed off the first base bag, and Trey Martin drilled an RBI double to the gap in right center to get the Revs on the board. Michael Berglund followed by slugging a game-tying two-run homer, his first with York, to the right of the batter’s eye, deadlocking things at 3-3.
Staten Island went back in front, 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth as Alejandro De Aza lofted an RBI double down the left field line that was nearly caught by a sliding Rhinesmith.
Colton Welker blasted a game-tying homer of his own, his 10th of the season, on an opposite field shot to right center in the top of the fifth as the game was tied again, 4-4.
Welker led off the seventh with a double to give the Revs an opportunity at their first lead but was stranded.
The Revs broke through in the eighth as Alfredo Reyes and Alexis Pantoja drew back-to-back one out walks from reliever Nate Griep. After a wild pitch advanced both runners and forced the FerryHawks to play the infield in, Matt McDermott roped a tiebreaking two-run single to left, plating Reyes from third and Pantoja who sprinted all the way from second and raced past a tag attempt at the plate for a 6-4 lead.
Alex Valverde (3-0) struck out his final four batters faced in a scoreless seventh and eighth inning to earn the win.
Brett Schulze slammed the door with a 1-2-3 save in the ninth in his second appearance with York, securing the ninth save of his pro career.
Notes: The Revs have followed only their second three-game losing streak all season with now three consecutive wins. York improves to 46-23 overall and 23-11 on the road. Valverde has worked two scoreless innings with four strikeouts in two of his last three outings. Welker’s homer is his eighth in his last 22 games. Berglund has reached base four out of five times in each of his past two games played. York signed infielder Kevin Higgins prior to the game, following the contract purchase of second baseman Kobe Kato by the Seattle Mariners; Higgins batted .235 in 30 games with Long Island this season following two seasons in the Pioneer League. York righty Jon Olsen (6-1) faces Staten Island’s Cam Hill (0-2) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and FloBaseball.TV beginning at 6:10 p.m.
CLICK HERE FOR BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY
CLICK HERE FOR WOYK AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS
CLICK HERE FOR PREGAME INTERVIEW WITH RHP FRANKIE BARTOW
CLICK HERE FOR FULL GAME BROADCAST
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO NEXT HOME GAME (TUESDAY VS HIGH POINT)