The Richmond Flying Squirels (31-27) plated the decisive run with a safety-squeeze bunt and upended the Erie SeaWolves (20-38), 4-3, at The Diamond on Friday night. The Squirrels continue to surge, having posted a league-best record of 28-10 since the end of their 15-game losing-skid.
The Squirrels broke on top against right-hander Tommy Collier in the second inning. Ricky Oropesa started the inning with single to right-center field. Mitch Delfino forced Oropesa at second, but then promptly stole second base. An out later, Myles Schroder served a single into left field. Delfino raced in for a 1-0 lead.
Richmond tacked on a run in the fourth. Delfino led off the inning with a double. He was bunted to second base before Schroder coaxed a single up the left-field line. Delfino came around for a 2-0 lead.
Right-hander Tyler Beede held the SeaWolves off through the first five innings. However, Wynton Bernard recorded a one-out single in the sixth. Dean Green followed and launched a two-run home run to right field. His team-leading eighth of the season tied the game, 2-2.
Neither starter factored in the decision. Collier was charged with two earned runs on five hits across five innings. He walked one and struck out four. Beede allowed two runs over six innings. He walked two and struck out six.
The SeaWolves briefly took the lead in the top of the eighth inning with an unearned run against right-hander Tyler Mizenko (3-0). However, it was the only run allowed by Mizenko over two innings as he earned his third win of the year.
Richmond took control back with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Engel Beltre started the inning with a single to right field off of righty Zac Reininger. An out later, Jackson Williams drew a walk to put two aboard. Erie brought on closer Jeff Ferrell to face Kelby Tomlinson. Tomlinson greeted the right-hander with an RBI single to right field that tied the game, 3-3. Rando Moreno then laid down a squeeze-bunt towards first base. Williams slid across just safely with the game-winning run. Reininger (0-2) took the loss for Erie.
Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. on Saturday night at The Diamond. Richmond RHP Kyle Crick (1-1, 1.88) will make the start against Erie RHP Austin Kubitza (3-5, 5.13). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 5:35 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
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Chris Graham
