July 7-9

Friday night baseball in Lancaster as the Atlantic League's War Of The Roses reconvened, the York Revs were in town for the opener of a three-game set. About a half-hour before game time the skies darkened to the west and the tarp was rolled out, moments later the deluge began and delayed the scheduled 6:30 start until almost 8:15. The Revolution took a 1-0 lead two batters into the game, Alonzo Harris started it with a base hit and scored on Alexi Casilla's RBI single. In the Barnstormer first Rico Noel walked and touched home on a Sean Halton base hit, in the third Halton hit a laser-beam solo home run to dead center to put the home team up 2-1. In the visiting fifth Casilla drew a one-out walk, Michael Burgess followed with a towering two-run shot to right field putting the Revs back ahead 3-2. That would prove to be the final score as Frank Gailey worked five innings for the win with Brad Allen recording the save, Bryan Evans started for the Stormers and suffered the loss. On Saturday we had our usual lunch visit with Jenny, in the evening we were at the ballpark for game #2. We must be in monsoon season around here because (for the second straight night) a quick storm roared through around 6:00 or so. It was a fast-moving system that disappeared almost as fast as it had arrived, the game started reasonably on time at 6:40. The Revs once again took an early lead in the first, Harris singled and scored on a Burgess fielders choice grounder to make it 1-0. In the Stormer second Garrett Weber and Trayvon Robinson reached on back-to-back singles, they both scored on Tyler Clark's base hit to put the Stormers up 2-1. A two-run Caleb Gindl home run in the third extended the lead to 4-1, in the Revs fifth Jared Mitchell singled and touched home on Alexi Casilla's RBI hit to bring the visitors back within two. In the seventh Casilla continued his hot night with a two-run homer to tie the game at 4-4. In the bottom of the ninth the Barnstormers walked it off, Tray Robinson batted with one out and sent the crowd home happy with a game-winning solo home run to right field. Neither starting pitcher (ex-Atlanta Brave property Steve Janas for the Revs, ex-Rev Rommie Lewis for the Stormers) was around at the end, Anthony Carter won it in relief with Jose Arredondo taking the loss. The series ended in the afternoon heat on Sunday, the Revs leaving town with a win and an 8-5 lead in the season series for the Community Cup. Take care, thanks for reading.