(June 3, 2019 – High Point, NC): Melky Mesa cracked a game-tying home run in the top of the eighth inning but the York Revolution dropped the opening game of a seven-game road trip, 3-2 in 10 innings to the High Point Rockers on Monday night at BB&T Point in the Revs’ first ever visit to High Point.
York trailed 2-0 into the top of the sixth inning when Alexi Casilla led off with a base hit through the left side. After advancing to second on a ground out, Casilla scored with two outs as Isaias Tejeda drilled an RBI double to right-center, slicing the deficit in half.
It remained 2-1 until the eighth when Mesa smacked a line drive solo homer over the seats in left with one out, deadlocking things at 2-2. It was Mesa’s seventh long ball of the year and second in as many days, while giving him 24 RBI including 18 in his last 18 games.
Ian Thomas stranded a pair of runners in the bottom of the eighth and Josh Judy handled a scoreless ninth to force extras, including a double play started by center fielder J.P. Sportman who caught Giovanny Alfonzo’s fly ball and threw in to where shortstop Henry Castillo made the cut off and flipped to Casilla at second to tag out Hector Gomez attempting to advance to end the inning, as the Rockers would have had the winning run at third base.
James Skelton successfully advanced Angelys Nina on a grounder to first base in the top of the tenth, but Sportman’s bid to give the Revs the lead was denied as reliever Sum Runion somehow snared a wicked line drive back at the mound for the second out. Runion (2-2) followed with a ground out for a scoreless inning, ultimately earning the win.
Tyler Ladendorf served a single to right in the bottom of the tenth, advancing Alfonzo to third. That set up Myles Schroder who pulled the game-winning base hit on a line drive down the right field line, giving the Rockers the 3-2 win.
Revs starter Corey Walter was strong in his second outing, allowing just two runs on four hits in 5.2 innings with no walks and three strike outs. He allowed just an RBI ground out by Stephen Cardullo in the second, plating Tyler Marincov who had tripled, and a leadoff homer to center by Richie Shaffer in the third. Walter retired 10 of his next 11 after the home run to keep the score close.
High Point starter Joe Van Meter was excellent against his former team, striking out eight and limiting the Revs to just two hits in five innings, a double by Tejeda in the second and a double by Castillo in the fourth.
The Revs will look to even the series on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. when Mitch Atkins (1-3, 4.08) squares off with Tyler Herron (0-2, 5.64). Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and WOYK on YouTube beginning at 6:10 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
Notes: The Revs fall to 1-4 in extra inning contests. York is now 0-4 against High Point. Nina went 1-for-4 with a seventh inning single and played third base in his Revs debut; he was acquired from Southern Maryland earlier in the day, completing a previous trade. Tejeda’s RBI was the 148th of his Revs career; his next will tie Bryan Pounds for ninth in Revs history. With two doubles in Monday’s game, Tejeda now has 10 doubles on the season and 72 in his Revs career, breaking a tie with Scott Grimes and Jared Mitchell, and moving past Keoni DeRenne into fourth on the Revs’ all-time doubles list.
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