The Harrisburg Senators (38-41) outlasted the Richmond Flying Squirrels (39-37), 6-5, in 13 innings on Wednesday night at Metro Bank Park. The Squirrels had essentially run out of pitching after using seven hurlers when the game ultimately ended.
Right-hander Tyler Mizenko had already worked three scoreless innings of relief when he returned for the 13th. Brian Goodwin opened the 13th with a double to right-center field. Matt Skole then quickly ended the ballgame, lifting a game-winning double to left-center field. Mizenko (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season over three-plus innings.
The Squirrels jumped to the early lead when Engel Beltre led off the ballgame with a swinging-bunt single off of right-hander Dakota Bacus. Rando Moreno followed and lifted his first home run of the season. The two-run shot to right field gave the Squirrels a 2-0 lead. It marked just the second inning in the last 40 that Richmond had scored.
Richmond righty Pedro Rodriguez worked one perfect inning, but was injured while attempting to run out a groundout in the top of the second. He was removed from the ballgame, forcing the Squirrels to cover eight innings in the bullpen.
Devin Harris extended the Richmond lead in the fourth. He led off and sent a missile over the bleachers in left field. The solo-shot, his seventh of the year, gave the Squirrels a 3-0 advantage.
Right-hander Joan Gregorio followed Rodriguez and quickly turned in two scoreless innings. He also struck out the first two batters of the fourth inning. However, Skole then launched his first pitch well over the right-field wall. Skole’s 11th of the season gave the Senators their first hit and run, trailing 3-1.
Gregorio allowed just the lone run over three innings and passed the baton to right-hander Kyle Crick. Crick, making his first relief appearance of the season, suffered familiar control issues. He walked three while recording just two outs, eventually issuing a free-pass to Chris Bostick that forced in a run. Crick didn’t finish the inning, as lefty Phil McCormick came on to record the final out.
The Squirrels got the run back against Bacus in the sixth. With one out, Austin Slater rifled a double to right-center field. An out later, Jackson Williams dumped an RBI single into left-center. Slater scored for a 4-2 lead.
Richmond added another run in the seventh. The run was charged to Bacus and was unearned. Beltre reached on an error to start the inning. Moreno bunted him to second and Hunter Cole ripped a double into the right-field corner for a 5-2 lead.
Bacus was charged with five runs – four earned – over 6 1/3 innings. He surrendered six hits, walked three and struck out four.
Right-hander Stephen Johnson became the fifth hurler employed by the Squirrels when he entered for the seventh. He conceded back-to-back singles to Derrick Robinson and Shawn Pleffner to begin the inning. Wilmer Difo then grounded out to bring in Robinson and cut Richmond’s lead to two runs, 5-3.
The Senators tied it off lefty Braulio Lara in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lara started his own trouble when he walked Cutter Dykstra with one out. Drew Vettleson then notched a single to put the tying runs on base. Pedro Severino then drove a ball off the wall in left field to plate one run. A batter later, Shawn Pleffner tied the game with an RBI fielder’s choice.
Right-hander Sam Runion (2-0) worked a perfect top of the 13th to earn the win – his second. Runion was one of five pitchers utilized by Harrisburg.
Game three of the four-game series is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday night at Metro Bank Park. Richmond LHP Kelvin Marte (6-1, 2.73) will make the start against Harrisburg RHP Austin Voth (3-5, 3.69). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
Share
Contributors
