Home Erie Seawolves nip Richmond Flying Squirrels, 6-5
Baseball

Erie Seawolves nip Richmond Flying Squirrels, 6-5

Chris Graham

richmond-squirrelsIn a back-and-forth tussle, the Erie SeaWolves (14-17) got the last laugh, defeating the Richmond Flying Squirrels (17-15), 6-5, in front of 7,218 at The Diamond on Thursday night.  The Squirrels have now lost three straight, their longest losing skid of the season.

Richmond lefty Adalberto Mejia and Erie righty Jeff Ferrell dueled in the early going, each firing four scoreless innings.  Mejia blinked first however, conceding the game’s first run in the top of the fifth inning.  Steven Moya opened the inning with a triple to the right-field corner.  Francisco Martinez cashed in the triple quickly as he followed with an RBI single into center field for a 1-0 Erie lead.

The Squirrels responded hurriedly in the bottom of the fifth against Ferrell.  With one out, Devin Harris lofted a high-fly ball to deep left-center field.  Erie center fielder Jamie Johnson couldn’t run it down, and Harris scooted into third with a triple.  Kelby Tomlinson then lifted a sacrifice-fly to center field to plate Harris and tie the game, 1-1.

Erie bounced right back to reclaim the lead in the top of the sixth inning.  With one away in the inning, Aaron Westlake launched a solo-home run to right field.  Westlake’s sixth of the year gave Erie a 2-1 advantage.  The SeaWolves weren’t done in the inning as an out later Wade Gaynor doubled into left-center field.  Moya followed with a single to right field to plate Gaynor and give the SeaWolves a 3-1 lead.

Mejia departed after six innings having conceded three earned runs on six hits.  He walked one, struck out six and did not factor in the decision.

jarrett parker brought the Squirrels back within a run in the bottom of the sixth inning when he blasted a solo-home run to left-center field.  The solo-shot, Parker’s second of the year, made it 3-2 for Erie.

Ferrell also settled for a no-decision, allowing two runs over six innings.  He permitted five hits, walked three and struck out

The SeaWolves tacked on a run against Bryce Bandilla in the seventh, but the Squirrels once again had the answer in the bottom of the inning.  They rallied with two outs against right-handed reliever Brennan Smith to tie the game, 4-4.  They did so with four consecutive singles, the first of which was supplied by Devin Harris.  Kelby Tomlinson and Tyler Graham both followed with singles to load the bases.  Matt Duffy then shot a single to the right of the first baseman Aaron Westlake.  He knocked it down, but flipped it off the leg of the arriving Duffy.  As it shot into right field, two runs scored to level the ballgame.

However, Erie got the final say in the top of the eighth inning against Bandilla.  Ramon Cabrera, Gaynor and Moya notched three consecutive doubles to plate two runs, giving Erie a 6-4 edge.  Bandilla (0-1) allowed three runs in relief to take the loss, his first.

Right-hander Corey Knebel (3-0) notched the final out of the seventh inning and took it the rest of the way for the win.  He did concede a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap the scoring.  Duffy knocked in Graham with a sacrifice-fly to finalize the score.

Game two of the four-game series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at The Diamond on Friday night.  Richmond RHP Kyle Crick (1-1, 4.60) will make the start against Erie RHP Tommy Collier (0-5, 11.05).  Pregame coverage will begin on Sports Radio 910 and SportsRadio910.com at 6:35 p.m.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

Latest News

How To Bet On Preakness Stakes 2025 In Canada
Sports

How To Bet On Preakness Stakes 2025 In Indiana

5 Best Preakness Stakes 2025 Betting Apps In Florida 
Sports

How To Bet On Preakness Stakes 2025 In Hawaii

This Saturday marks the 150th running of the iconic Preakness Stakes at Baltimore’s historic Pimlico Race Course. Whether you’re a seasoned horse racing enthusiast or new to the sport, fans in Hawaii can experience all the thrilling action and place bets easily through trusted offshore sportsbooks available throughout the state. Getting started is straightforward —...

How To Bet On Preakness Stakes 2025 In Kentucky
Sports

How To Bet On Preakness Stakes 2025 In Colorado

This Saturday marks the 150th running of the legendary Preakness Stakes at Baltimore’s historic Pimlico Race Course. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or just getting into the sport, Colorado horse racing enthusiasts can catch all the excitement — and place their bets — through reputable offshore sportsbooks accessible from anywhere in the state. Getting started...

5 Best Betting Sites With Offers For Preakness Stakes 2025
Sports

5 Best Betting Sites With Offers For Preakness Stakes 2025

5 Best Preakness Stakes 2025 Betting Apps In Florida 
Sports

5 Best Preakness Stakes 2025 Betting Apps In Florida 

5 Best Preakness Stakes 2025 Betting Apps In California 
Sports

5 Best Preakness Stakes 2025 Betting Apps In California 

How To Bet On Preakness Stakes 2025 In Kentucky
Sports

How To Bet On Preakness Stakes 2025 In Kentucky