Beede earns win for Richmond in doubleheader sweep

The Flying Squirrels (9-16) rolled behind Tyler Beede in a 2-1 win over Bowie in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday at The Diamond.

Bowie (12-13) bounced back and took the second contest, 6-3, playing into extra innings. Beede (2-1) hurled five innings and allowed just one run on three hits in his finest performance of the season. Kyle Crick also tossed five solid innings in game two, but received a no-decision. The two teams will play game three of the series on Wednesday night at 6:35 PM.

Game One

Squirrels starting pitcher Tyler Beede was sharp through the early innings. Making his fifth appearance of the season, Beede set the side down in order in the first and picked up a pair of strikeouts in the second.  Beede lost a bit of his control with one out in the third, leading to the game’s first run. Mike Yastrzemski walked and motored around from first base when Corban Joseph launched a double to leftcenter field. Joseph was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a triple. The extra base hit extended Joseph’s hitting streak to 16 consecutive games in game one. He added a bunt base hit in the second contest to stretch the streak to 17.

Bowie’s starting pitcher David Hess was also sturdy in a rain-shortened start Hess.Hess retired the side in order in the first frame, and worked around a walk in inning number two. After Hess finished off the third, the sky opened up and rain delayed the game for 35 minutes.  Hess hurled three scoreless innings on the no decision.

Unlike Hess, Beede was able to return after the rain delay and put down all three hitters he faced in the fourth. Bowie, forced to go to the pen early, brought in relieve Stefan Crichton. Richmond got a pair of runs in the fourth off Crichton for a 2-1 lead. Ricky Oropesa opened the inning with a walk and moved to third on a double to left center off the bat of Hunter Cole. Tyler Horan and Myles Schroeder then provided a pair of sacrifice flies to produce two runs.

The two runs was enough for Richmond to secure the victory in game one. Beede (2-1) hurled five innings and struck out four to earn his second win of the season Christian Jones hurled a 1-2-3 sixth inning in relief of Beede and Ray Black finished the game with a scoreless seventh to pick up his fourth save of the year.

Game Two

Kyle Crick toed the rubber for the Squirrels in game two of the doubleheader worked through the first two innings without incident. Tyler Horan then provided Crick and the Squirrels with a 1-0 lead in the second inning.Horan turned on a fastball and crunched his third homer of the year over the right field wall.

Bowie countered with a pair of runs off Crick in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Crick hit the number nine hitter Jeff Kemp and walked Julio Borbon to put two runners aboard. Mike Yastrzemski followed with a double to right, scoring Kemp and Borbon for the lead. Crick struggled a bit in the third but was able to elude any further damage in the inning with a strikeout andthrow out double play.

Crick was done after five innings in his fourth start of the year. The righty walked three, struck out a season-high six and allowed just a pair of hits. Tyler Rogers relieved Crick to start the sixth and blew away all three hitters faced. Jake Smith worked the seventh with a pair of punchouts.

The Baysox could not close out the contest in regulation, allowing an unearned run to tie the game, 2-2.  Facing Eric Fornataro, Richmond’s Ryder Jones walked to open the inning and moved to second on a base hit. Eliezer Zambano then hit a bouncing ball to short, but Garabez Rosa threw the ball away to tie the game. Rosa was able to get redemption in the top of the eighth with a base hit to score the wining run. Bowie put up four runs in the eighth to pull away in an inning that included two bunt base hits.

The Flying Squirrels homestand continues with a Fleece Blanket Giveaway presented by American Family Fitness on May 4^th at 6:35 PM at The Diamond. LHP Adalberto Mejia is scheduled to start for the Flying Squirrels against Baysox RHP Parker Bridwell. Season tickets, mini plans, and group packages are currently available by contacting the box office at 804-359-FUNN or online atwww.squirrelsbaseball.com.