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(Randy Flaum photo)SUGAR LAND, Texas -- Well, it wasn't a slugfest, but at least the Sugar Land Skeeters put on a down-to-the-wire performance for the more than 8,000 hometown fans.
In the inaugural game at Constellation Field on Thursday night, York Revolution pitching kept the Skeeters' bats quiet until the seventh inning.
Then, Sugar Land's Jimmy Van Ostrand drew a leadoff walk from Revs' right-hander Ricardo Gomez. Two outs later, Ben Harrison became the first Skeeters' player to hit a home run when he nailed a two-run shot off of Gomez to left-center to tie the game, 2-2.
However, Revs' slugger Chris Nowak answered In the next inning with a solo homer off of former Revs' pitcher Michael Nix (0-1). It would end up being the game-winning homer, giving York a 3-2 victory.
Starting off right: Revs' center fielder Scott Grimes put on a show at the plate and in the field. Grimes became the first player to homer at Constellation Field when he led off the game with a solo shot to left off of Sugar Land starter Matt Wright in the first inning. Defensively, Grimes also made two diving catches in the game.
The Revs' took a 2-0 lead in the in the third inning when catcher Salvador Paniagua led off with a solo homer.
Aside from allowing the two homers, Wright was dominant. The right-hander surrendered just four hits and struck out four in five innings.
Pitching dual: Both teams finished with six hits in what turned out to be a pitching duel. Revs' starter Corey Thurman was pulled in the fourth inning with two runners on base for left-hander Yunior Novoa, who ended up working out of the jam.
Thurman allowed just two hits, struck out two and walked two in 31/3 innings of work.
The Skeeters (0-1) challenged again in the sixth when they put runners on first and second with two outs, where Gomez (1-0) came in for righty Stephen Penney and got the final out.
Right-handers Adam Thomas and R.J. Rodriguez (save) tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings to seal the victory for York (1-0). Rodriguez did issue a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth, but got Bubba Bell to pop out to short for the final out of the game.
Revs' pitching struck out five Sugar Land batters and walked four.
Game notes: Revs' third baseman Ramon Castro was the first player to strike out and be hit by a pitch at Constellation Field. ... Former Atlantic League MVP Josh Pressley was the first Sugar Land player to record a hit. ... After Day 1 of the Atlantic League season, York sits alone atop the Freedom Division. The Lancaster Barnstormers (0-1) lost, 6-0, to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (1-0). And the Somerset Patriots (0-1) dropped a 9-4 decision to the Long Island Ducks (1-0). ... The Skeeters host York in Game 2 of a four-game homestand on Friday night, with first pitch scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ... Left-hander Ryan Feierabend will get the start for the Revs on Friday.
-- Reach John Walk at 505-5406 or jwalk@york dispatch.com or follow on Twitter@YorkSportsGuy.
