Fortunes turned for both teams at Jerry Uht Park on Tuesday night as the Richmond Flying Squirrels (15-21) erased an early deficit and downed the Erie SeaWolves (13-24), 8-5. With the win, the Squirrels leveled the three-game series and will have the chance to claim their fifth straight series in the finale on Wednesday.
The SeaWolves got off to a fast start against right-hander Kyle Crick. With one out, Wynton Bernard reached on an infield-single. Crick walked the next two hitters before James Robbins delivered a 2-0 lead with a two-run double up the right-field line. Crick needed 33 pitches in the inning.
Erie tacked on a run and chased Crick in the second. Crick issued a one-out walk, his third, to Brendan Harris. He then advanced Harris to second with an errant pickoff attempt. Harold Castro laid down a bunt-single to put runners on the corners and Crick uncorked a wild-pitch that allowed Harris to score for a 3-0 lead. Crick then walked Bernard and was finished for the night after 54 pitches.
Crick was charged with three runs, two earned, in just an inning and two thirds. He permitted three hits, walked four and struck out three.
Right-hander Pedro Rodriguez came on for Crick in the second, and was back on the mound in the third. Dean Green led off the third and launched a solo-home run to right field. His fourth of the year made it 4-0 for Erie.
The Squirrels finally got to right-hander Derek Hankins in the fourth. Rando Moreno led off with his second single of the night. Mac Williamson followed and clobbered a two-run home run to left-center field. Williamson’s fourth of the season cut the Richmond deficit in half, 4-2.
Richmond crept a run closer in the fifth. Kelby Tomlinson sparked the inning when he notched a one-out single to left field. He advanced to second base on a wild-pitch and scored when Williamson bounced a single back through the middle. Williamson had knocked in all three runs as the Squirrels had cut it to a one-run game, 4-3.
Hankins called it a night after five innings. He surrendered three earned runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out four. He left with the lead, but did not factor in the decision.
Richmond put together a big inning in the seventh against lefty Ryan Robowski to pull in front for good. Tomlinson got things started with a one-out infield single. Moreno followed and punched a double into the right-field corner. The SeaWolves elected to walk Williamson to load the bases. Devin Harris and Ricky Oropesa then provided back-to-back opposite-field two-run doubles that put the Squirrels ahead, 7-4. Robowski (1-2) took the loss for the SeaWolves.
Rodriguez worked 3 1/3 innings behind the short-start from Crick. Right-hander Joan Gregorio then turned in two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh innings. Gregorio (1-0) earned his first Double-A win in the affair. Right-hander Jose Casilla had some trouble in the eighth inning, conceding the final run of the night to the SeaWolves. Lefty Josh Osich came on to clean up the eighth. He also handled the ninth to earn his sixth save of the season.
The finale of the three-game series is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. at Jerry Uht Park. Richmond RHP Joe Biagini (2-2, 2.06) will make the start against Erie RHP Chad Green (1-5, 5.23). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 10:35 a.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
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