Revs Battle Back to Win Kickham's Debut
August 8, 2025 - Atlantic League (AtL)
York Revolution News Release
(York, Pa.): The York Revolution used three long balls to support starter Mike Kickham in his Revs debut, coming from behind for a 4-3 victory over the Long Island Ducks on Thursday afternoon in game one of a doubleheader in front of 4,573 fans at WellSpan Park.
Acquired last week via trade from Hagerstown, the former big league lefty and author of a no-hitter earlier this season worked into the seventh, holding Long Island to three runs on five hits with just one walk and four strikeouts.
Down 2-0 early, William Simoneit started the comeback by hammering a solo homer to left in the bottom of the third.
Ryan Higgins tattooed a game-tying leadoff homer to left center in the fifth, bringing the Revs even at 2-2.
Jalen Miller led off the bottom of the sixth with a blast to left center, his team-leading 15th as the Revs jumped in front, 3-2 off Ducks starter Juan Hillman (7-5). York added a clutch insurance run as Jeffrey Wehler walked and went first-to-third on Brandon Lewis' single up the middle before scoring on a passed ball for a 4-2 edge.
Troy Viola ended the day for Kickham (1-0, 5-8) with a first pitch homer down the left field line to make it a one-run game leading off the seventh, but Brendan Cellucci was summoned for a 1-2-3 save, the sixth of his career, to close it out.
Kickham faced the minimum from the third through the sixth, retiring 11 in-a-row. He pulled back into a tie for the league lead in strikeouts with his 99th when he fanned Viola to begin the fourth for his first strikeout in a Revs uniform. He whiffed the next batter, Cody Thomas, becoming the league's first to 100 punch outs on the year.
Chris Roller led off the game with a double high off the left field Arch Nemesis and scored on a pair of groundouts as the Revs fell behind in the top of the first inning for the 12th time in their past 13 home games. Kole Kaler added an RBI single to left in the second before Kickham settled in and the Revs' comeback began to materialize.
The win snapped a two-game skid and evened the series while halting a four-game slide against the Ducks, head-to-head.
Simoneit opened the scoring in the nightcap with a two-out RBI double drilled off the Nemesis, plating Miller who doubled earlier in the inning.
York starter Jordan Morales worked a scoreless first but ran into trouble in the second as Long Island scored on a passed ball to tie the game and on a two-out, two-run homer to left by Roller as they went ahead, 3-1.
Bubba Alleyne socked a solo homer to right center and Chris Williams bombed a solo shot to left, his first with York, as the Revs tied the game, 3-3 in the bottom of the second.
Long Island took command with a four-run third off righty Grayson Thurman, a veteran of three seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system, signed earlier in the day.
Viola somehow connected on an eye-high fastball with two strikes, launching a two-run homer to left to put the Ducks back on top. The Long Island third baseman went yard in both games of the twinbill, giving him seven homers and 13 extra-base hits in 12 games at WellSpan Park on the season.
An error allowed the third inning rally to continue and the Ducks added RBI singles by pinch-hitter Seth Beer and Taylor Kohlwey as their lead grew to 7-3, but the inning came to an oddly quick end as Beer was thrown out by Alleyne from center field as he attempted to take third, Kohlwey was nailed at third on a caught stealing by Williams, and Thurman induced a fly out from Kaler, all in a matter of three pitches.
Miller led off the bottom of the third with his second double and coaxed a balk from a preoccupied Jacob Asa who attempted to pick him off at second on his third disengagement. Wehler singled Miller home on a liner over a leaping Kaler at shortstop, drawing York within 7-4 but the Revs could only manage one additional hit, an Alleyne double in the fourth, the rest of the way.
Long Island applied the finishing touches with a three-run fourth as Roller scored on another passed ball, Aaron Antonini delivered an RBI single, and Thomas added a sac fly as the Ducks took the nightcap, 10-4, claiming the rubber match in the series.
Ethan Firoved finished strong on the mound for the Revs with two scoreless innings as the rookie logged his first multi-inning scoreless appearance.
Notes: The first half North Division champion Revs finish the home season series against the Ducks, the first place team in the second half, just 4-8. The two teams will meet 12 times at Long Island before the end of the regular season. York has a winning record at Long Island the past two years but has not won a home season series from the Ducks since 2016. The Ducks have hit the second fewest homers in the league but have mashed 20 in 12 games at WellSpan Park. Thursday was the Revs' seventh doubleheader of the season; they have two sweeps, have been swept twice, and now have three splits including splits in both twinbills against the Ducks. Kickham and Thurman make 12 players (11 pitchers) who have debuted for the Revs since July 17. With two doubles, Miller now has 34 on the season, second in the league to only teammate Frankie Tostado's 47 which are three shy of the league's all-time mark. The Revs halt a three-game skid in one-run contests.
Up Next: York welcomes the South Division-leading Lexington Legends on Friday at 6:30 p.m. as RHP Chris Vallimont (4-3, 6.25) faces righty Dustin Beggs (4-0, 4.20) in the opener. It is Hobbies Night, Scout Sleepover, DownTown's Birthday Party, and WellSpan Health Widget Hat Giveaway (first 1,000 fans). Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Atlantic League Stories from August 8, 2025
- Vallimont, Davis Lead Revs to Friday Night Victory - York Revolution
- Hartman Goes 6 Scoreless as Peppers Move Into First Place - Gastonia Ghost Peppers
- Late-Inning Magic Propels Ducks in Extras - Long Island Ducks
- High Point Rockers Split DH with Southern Maryland - High Point Rockers
- Morning Glory - Lancaster Stormers
- Revs Battle Back to Win Kickham's Debut - York Revolution
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