Thomas

The five York Revolution players who saw action in the 2012 Atlantic League All-Star game on Wednesday night didn't do anything eye-popping.

But the Revs did make some positive contributions for the Freedom Division in a come-from-behind 9-5 win over the Liberty Division.

Outside of the first and ninth innings, the contest was pretty much a pitchers' duel -- the Freedom Division using seven pitchers to the Liberty's eight. But the sold-out crowd of 7,619 at Camden's Campbell's Field was still treated to plenty of entertainment.

A celebrity softball game was played before the All-Star contest, with Larry Bowa's squad nabbing an 8-6 win. A helicopter landed in the outfield before the game to deliver the ceremonial first

Thurman
pitch. And like they did at the All-Star game in York a year ago, the Zooperstars (inflatable costume characters) made appearances throughout the night.

Local guys: Revs' outfielder Michael Hernandez and second baseman Andres Perez were in the starting lineup for the Freedom Division. York third baseman Ramon Castro was selected to the game, but did not play.

Perez went 0-for-3 at the plate, while Hernandez and Revs' outfielder Brandon Haveman each went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

The Freedom Division took the first lead of the game in a wild first inning. Adam Godwin (Lancaster) drew a leadoff walk and later scored on an RBI single from Blake Gailen (Lancaster). In the bottom half of the frame, the Liberty Division answered by scoring four runs on five hits and an error off starting pitcher John Halama (Lancaster).

The Freedom Division drew to within 4-3 in the top of the fourth. Jeff Nettles (Somerset) led off with a solo homer on the first pitch from Jason Monti (Long Island). Hernandez later got a two-out single off of Monti and came around to score on an RBI single from former Revs' player Octavio Martinez (Sugar Land).

Managing the Freedom Division along with his coaching staff for the second consecutive year, Revs' skipper Andy Etchebarren put his own pitcher, Corey Thurman, on the mound to start the third. The right-hander gave up one hit and struck out a batter in two innings, throwing 13 of his 19 pitches for strikes.

Later in the game, Revs' reliever Adam Thomas picked up the win by tossing a scoreless eighth, where he gave up a hit but struck out the side.

Ninth-inning explosion: Trailing by a run entering the ninth, the Freedom Division put its first two runners on base for Emerson Frostad (Lancaster), who tied it up with an RBI single off of Zach Hammes (Camden). Haveman then came to plate with runners on second and third with no outs and drew a walk to load the bases. Bubba Bell (Sugar Land) broke the game open with a two-run single to put the Freedom Division up, 6-4.

With the Liberty Division out of pitchers, Hammes stayed out for the ninth and surrendered three more runs before getting out of the frame. In all, the Freedom Division put up six runs on five hits, two walks and a wild pitch in the ninth.

The Liberty Division added an unearned run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double from Kraig Binick (Long Island).

Lancaster's Fehlandt Lentini took home the game's MVP award by going 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.

-- Reach John Walk at jwalk@yorkdispatch.com.