'Sharks Lose, Harris Returns To The Lineup

CAMDEN, NJ – The Camden Riversharks were sitting 4.5 games out of the Liberty Division heading into Saturday when they began their nine-game home stand. It looked as though the stars were aligning for Camden to make a serious run at the Atlantic League playoffs.

Game one didn’t go as planned.

Joe Thurston hit two home runs to lead the York Revolution to an 8-1 win over the Riversharks Saturday night at Campbell’s Field. The Revolution never trailed and in the past two games have outscored Camden 20-3.

Friday’s game in York, Pennsylvania was rained out, pushing the starters back as the teams returned to Camden for the back end of the home-and-home series. Bryan Corey got the start for Camden (14-20, 48-55), coming off two of his best starts of the season.

Corey (7-8) gave up a one-out solo blast to Thurston in the first to give York (18-16, 54-50) the early lead.

Corey stranded two runners on in each of the next three innings, dancing around danger to keep it 1-0 until the fifth inning. Thurston led off with his second homer of the game, sparking the Revs to bat around, putting up four runs and chasing Corey from the ball game. Corey went 4.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits.

Blake King and Spencer Steedley went a combined 2.2 innings of scoreless ball out of the bullpen, keeping Camden in the game, but Chris Waters was proving to strong for the Camden lineup.

The Sharks finally got to Waters (3-5) in the seventh, getting their lone run on a Chris Walker two-out double to score Jake Eigsti. Camden got two aboard for Brian Burgamy, chasing Waters from the game, but reliever Kris Regas was able to get Burgamy to ground out to end the threat. Camden would not get another baserunner the rest of the game.

York tacked on three more in the eighth inning after Josh Walter allowed the first four men in the inning to reach, rounding out the scoring.

Camden looks for revenge Sunday. First pitch is 1:05 and pits Eddy Camacho (0-1) against Chris Cody (8-11) in a battle of southpaws.