The York Revolution were the best team in the Atlantic League at home last season winning 43 games at PeoplesBank Park. This season they’ve picked up right where they left off a season ago, sweeping the Somerset Patriots in the first home series of the season, with a 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon to close it out. The Revs have now won four straight games overall, improving to 5-4 on the season, and will host the Long Island Ducks in the first of a four-game series on Monday night.
The Revs manufactured a run in the third to get the scoring started. Travis Witherspoon led off with a single to center and then stole second, before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Witherspoon then came around to score on an Alonzo Harris RBI groundout to give the home team the 1-0 advantage.
The Patriots were quick to respond as Tyler Bortnick led off the top of the fourth with a single to left, one of four hits on the day for the Somerset second baseman. Bortnick went from first to third on a Bryan LaHair single to left, and then came in to tie the game on a Jerry Sands sacrifice fly to center.
The Revs would reclaim the lead in the sixth as Jared Mitchell was hit by a David Kubiak offering to begin the frame. Mitchell then stole second, and with two outs, Bryan Pounds came through with an RBI double to left that went in and out of the glove of Aharon Eggleston who had his back up against the Arch Nemesis on a mistimed jump, giving the Revs the lead for good. Pounds notched clutch two-out RBI hits in each of the three games in the series.
“I think the hitting is starting to come around,” said Pounds. “I think we just weren’t getting the hits early in the season, and it’s just starting to come together for us.”
In his second start of the season, Victor Mateo lasted 5.2 innings, giving up just one run on six hits, while striking out three and walking none.
Chase Huchingson came on to record the final out in the sixth as Revs manager Mark Mason employed a lefty-versus-lefty matchup against Carlos Guzman. Huchingson (1-0) set down Guzman on a groundout to first on a play where he received the feed from Michael Burgess, and earned his first win of the season.
Melvin Mercedes worked a 1-2-3 seventh, and Jarret Martin got the job done in the eighth, picking off the would-be tying run to preserve the lead. Brad Allen pitched around a two-out walk in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.
Monday’s series opener vs. Long Island is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. The Revs will send Ty’Relle Harris to the hill for his first start of the season, while Long Island will counter with right hander John Brownell.
Monday is Hunger Free Monday presented by United Fiber & Data for the York County Food Bank as fans may bring a non-perishable food item and get a free ticket to the game. It’s also Trivia Night, as fans can get a game ticket and entry to a trivia contest to pit their team of friends against other know-it-alls for great prizes. Darrell Henry and Matt Present will be on the call following the Baltimore Baseball Show on SportsRadio 1350 WOYK, online at woyk1350.com and YorkRevsTV.com, and on the WOYK app.
Notes:
W – Chase Huchingson (1-0)
L – David Kubiak (0-1)
S – Brad Allen (2)
*The Revs’ sweep of Somerset is their first of the Patriots since 2012
*The Revs open 3-0 at home for the fourth time in franchise history and first time since 2014
*The Revs’ four-game winning streak is their longest since winning four straight, 8/18/16 – 8/23/16
*The Revs are now 3-1 when scoring first, and won their first game when scoring fewer than four runs