York 9, Lancaster 1
May 7, 2024 – Lancaster, Pa.): Zach Neff earned his second win of the season in as many starts as the York Revolution got their War of the Roses defense off to a strong start with a 9-1 win over the Lancaster Stormers on Tuesday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium. The Revs now hold sole possession of first place in the North Division at 7-4. Neff (2-0) struck out six across a season-high 5.1 innings in the victory.
Without recording a hit, York jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against Stormers starter Caleb Barager. After Matt McDermott reached on an error and Kobe Kato walked, both moved up on a wild pitch. Donovan Casey and Jacob Rhinesmith delivered back-to-back sacrifice flies to open the scoring.
Lancaster got on the board with an RBI groundout in the second inning, scoring Chris Proctor who led the inning off with an infield single and stole a pair of bases.
With one out in the third inning, Lancaster got a pair of runners in scoring position against Neff but the lefty ended the inning with a groundout and looking strikeout.
York led off the third and fourth innings with doubles but came up empty on both trips, failing to extend the lead. In the sixth, however, David Washington drove in a run on York’s third sacrifice fly, scoring Casey and putting York up 3-1. Washington has now driven in runs in all four games of his Revs tenure.
Neff started the sixth inning, becoming York’s second starter to pitch into the sixth inning so far this season. He exited after a one-out infield single, but Alex Valverde stranded that runner with a strikeout and flyout.
In the seventh inning, things finally broke open. After Casey was hit in the arm to load the bases with one out, York responded with four straight two-out hits, capped off by Jamari Baylor’s three run blast to right center field. Prior to the blast, Trey Martin delivered a two-run single to left, and Washington singled home another run one pitch later. After the six-run inning, York was suddenly ahead 9-1.
Matt Turner allowed a leadoff walk in the seventh inning but retired the next three, culminating with a strikeout.
Tom Sutera erased a one-out single in the eighth by rolling a 6-3 ground ball double play to end the inning and tossed a scoreless ninth to cap off the 9-1 victory, as York delivered the opening blow in this season’s War of the Roses.
Will Stewart will make his third start of the season on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. and will be opposed by Jack Labosky of Lancaster. 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 6:25 p.m.
Notes: York’s 7-4 start is their best to begin a season since 2011 and their second best through 11 games all-time. Their 5-2 road start matches their best through seven games (2010). York has won all three road series openers and is looking to make it three straight road series wins to open the year. Baylor’s home run was the 20th of his pro career. The three sac flies ties a Revs single-game franchise record (several times). Neff’s 5.1 innings establishes a new career-high; he has allowed just one run in each of his first two starts. York pitching shut down a Lancaster offense that entered Tuesday’s game leading the league in batting and runs (7.1/game). The Revs have scored six or more runs in five of their last six contests. Turner has now worked five shutout innings to begin the season. The Revs’ six-run seventh was their biggest inning of the year. York now ranks second in the league with a 3.97 staff ERA.
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Southern Maryland 8, High Point 5
WALDORF, Md. – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs pulled away from the High Point Rockers with a three-run fifth inning and went on to take an 8-5 victory in the opening game of a three-game series at Regency Furniture Stadium on Tuesday night.
Southern Maryland got to High Point starter Peter Solomon (L, 0-2) for a pair of runs in the first. The Blue Crabs strung together singles from Anthony Brocato and Juan Kelly along with a double from Gabe Wurtz to take a 2-0 lead.
The Rockers tied the game at 2-2 in the third when Martin Figueroa drew a walk from Blue Crab starter Ian Kahaloa (W, 1-1) and scored on a two-out homer from Nick Longhi, his sixth of the season.
Southern Maryland took a 3-2 lead in the fourth, using an RBI single to score Brocato who had singled and moved to second on a walk. The Blue Crabs grew the lead to 4-2 in the fourth on singles by Isaias Quiroz, Matt Hibbert and Michael Wielansky.
High Point pulled to within a run at 4-3 in the fifth when Figueroa singled, moved to third on a single by Connor Owings and scored on an infield groundout by Longhi.
The Blue Crabs grew the lead to 7-3 on Ian Yetsko’s three-run homer in the fifth inning. Solomon departed after 4.2 innings, having allowed 10 hits and six runs with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.
In the seventh, Aaron Hill tripled and scored on a single by Quiroz off High Point’s Jacob Edwards to put the Blue Crabs on top 8-3.
High Point closed the margin to 8-5 in the eighth when Zander Wiel belted a two-out double. Brian Parreira reached on an error by Kelly at first base. Ryan Grotjohn’s infield pop-up was ruled a two-base error, allowing both Parreira and Wiel to score.
Southern Maryland went to the bullpen and closer Endrys Briceno (S, 2) retired the Rockers in order in the ninth to earn the save.
Game two of the three-game series is set for a 7:05 p.m. start on Wednesday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.
NOTES: The loss was the first road loss of the year for the Rockers who had opened the season with a four-game sweep at Lexington… Nick Longhi drove in three runs in the game and belted his sixth homer of the season to lead the team…
Gastonia 3, Hagerstown 1
Charleston 9, Lexington 6