Witherspoon's Homer Lifts Revs to Sweep of Ducks
June 22, 2016 - Atlantic League (AtL)
York Revolution News Release
(York, Pa.) - Travis Witherspoon hit a go-ahead solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the York Revolution swept a three-game series from the Long Island Ducks, winning 2-1 on Wednesday night in front of 4,570 fans at PeoplesBank Park. The first-place Revs (34-25) at least kept ground in the Freedom Division with second-place Sugar Land and third-place Lancaster, both of whom were still playing at press time, with 11 games to go in the first half. York entered the day leading Sugar Land by 3.0 games and Lancaster by 3.5 in the standings.
Tied 1-1 and facing a tough starter in the Ducks' John Brownell, Witherspoon connected on a 1-2 pitch and hammered a line drive over the Arch Nemesis in left field to break the deadlock. It was Witherspoon's third home run of the season and his first with the Revs.
Scott Rice (3-0) earned the win by pitching a scoreless eighth inning. Brownell (4-3) took the hard-luck loss, allowing two runs on seven hits in 7.1 frames. Mike DeMark allowed just a two-out single to close out his Atlantic League-best 19th save of the season.
Frank Gailey kept the Revs in the game with his best start of the season, allowing a single run on four hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out seven on 95 pitches.
Mike Dowd opened the scoring with a first-pitch home run to lead off the top of the second, but from there Gailey settled in for his best outing of the season. He faced one above the minimum after the homer, at one point retiring a Revs season-high 13 in a row.
Brownell was in control from the get-go, scattering three singles over his first four innings and racking up five strikeouts. The Revs finally got to him in the fifth as Alfredo Marte led off with a walk. After a popout and strikeout, Witherspoon lined a single into right center, and Michael Rockett slashed a base hit into center to plate Marte and tie it 1-1.
Rice came on in the eighth and immediately faced trouble as the first two men reached on an error and a walk. From there, the Major League veteran locked in, getting a key force play at third on a bunt attempt and retiring the next two on groundouts, setting up Witherspoon's heroics in the bottom of the inning.
Witherspoon finished the day 3-for-4 with the home run and a stolen base, collecting his fourth multi-hit game in his first six with York. He hit .462 (12-26) over the six-game homestand.
Rockett went 2-for-4 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.
Dowd led the Long Island charge, collecting a single to go along with the homer.
Notes: The game finished in 2:09, two minutes longer than the shortest nine-inning Revs game of the year. York secures its first sweep since May 25-27 at home against Southern Maryland and third sweep of the season. With his 23rd team save, DeMark has tied Franklin Nunez for third in Revs franchise history. Pitching coach Paul Fletcher served as acting manager for York with manager Mark Mason off one night for personal reasons. The Revs now go on an eight-game road trip, their longest of the season, with the first of four at Southern Maryland on Thursday night. York will send James Simmons (4-2, 3.91) to the hill against the Blue Crabs' Scott Snodgress (1-5, 6.20). Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 1350, woyk1350.com, and on the WOYK mobile app beginning at 6:45 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
Atlantic League Stories from June 22, 2016
- Bridgeport Wins On Protested Call - Lancaster Stormers
- Bullpen Struggles Continue As Skeeters Drop Series To Blue Crabs - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Witherspoon's Homer Lifts Revs to Sweep of Ducks - York Revolution
- Simon, Bees Shut out Somerset 3-0 - New Britain Bees
- Big Nights from Brownell, Dowd Not Enough in York - Long Island Ducks
- Bees Blank Patriots 3-0 in Rubber Match - Somerset Patriots
- Bluefish Reel in Catcher Jose Gil - Bridgeport Bluefish
- Pre-Game Notes: vs. Southern Maryland - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Former Somerset Patriots Pitcher Jason Dickson Named Baseball Canada President - Somerset Patriots
- Constellation Field Earns Top Four Spot in Ballpark Digest's Best Ballparks - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Lancaster County Farming Community to be Showcased at Atlantic League All-Star Game - Lancaster Stormers
- Preview - Bees, Patriots Battle for Series Win - New Britain Bees
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