The Richmond Flying Squirrels (56-40) cruised past the Bowie Baysox (50-46), 7-2, on Sunday night at Prince George’s Stadium. Richmond regained first place in the Western Division as Akron was also defeated by Trenton. The Squirrels also built their lead on third-place Bowie to six games.
Richmond jumped on top in the top of the second inning against lefty Jake Pettit. Mario Lisson led off and cracked a double into the left-field corner. Devin Harris followed and lifted a two-run home run to left-center field. Harris’ ninth of the season was the Squirrels first home run of the series and put them ahead, 2-0.
Bowie also used the long-ball for their first run against right-hander Kyle Crick. Sammie Starr – in his first at-bat of the series – led off the third inning and yanked a solo-home run to left field. The first of the year with the Baysox for Starr cut the Richmond lead to a lone run, 2-1.
The Squirrels’ lead lasted until the fifth inning when David Adams led off and tied the game, 2-2, with a solo-home run to left field. Adams’ fifth of the season was also the fifth that Crick had allowed on the year.
Lisson blasted the Squirrels back in front in the sixth inning. With Matt Duffy aboard on a single, Lisson teed off on a 2-0 pitch from Pettit. The two-run home run – Lisson’s team-leading 12th of the season – to left field put Richmond back in front, 4-2.
Crick (6-4) scattered nine hits, but equaled his longest outing of the season, lasting six innings. He allowed just two runs, walked one and struck out six. He earned his sixth victory of the season.
Pettit lasted into the seventh inning, but issued a lead-off walk to Myles Schroder. He recorded the first out of the frame but was then lifted in favor of right-hander Marcel Prado. Eliezer Zambrano greeted him with an RBI single to left-center field. Zambrano took second base when the ball was misplayed in the Bowie outfield. He then advanced to third base on a Prado wild-pitch and scored for a 6-2 lead when Skyler Stromsmoe pulled a single into right field.
Pettit (4-8) was charged with five earned runs over 6 1/3 innings and took the loss – his eighth. He conceded five hits, walked three and struck out two. He dropped to 0-4 against the Squirrels on the season.
Richmond tacked on a run in the eighth inning off of Prado. Prado walked Tomlinson to start the frame. Tomlinson then stole second base – establishing a new career-high with 37, and taking the league-lead. Duffy then laced a double to the right-field corner to make it 7-2 for Richmond.
A trio of Richmond relievers had no trouble finishing out the ballgame. Right-hander Jose Casilla faced the minimum in a scoreless seventh inning. Lefty Josh Osich recorded two strikeouts in a perfect eighth and right-hander Hunter Strickland handled the ninth cleanly.
The finale of the four-game series is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. at Prince George’s Stadium on Saturday night. Richmond LHP Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 5.90) will make the start against Bowie RHP Bud Norris (0-0, —). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmupbegins at 10:35 a.m. on Sports Radio 910 and SportsRadio910.com.
Share
Chris Graham
