Richmond Flying Squirrels edge Reading, 5-4

The Richmond Flying Squirrels (53-35) surged from behind to claim a, 5-4, win over the Reading Fightins (34-50) in front of 9,316 on Saturday night at The Diamond.  It marked the fourth straight victory for the Squirrels who took the series with Reading and improved to a franchise-record 18 games over .500.

The Fightins got after Squirrels’ lefty Ty Blach hurriedly in the top of the first inning.  KC Serna led off the ballgame with a single into left field.  Peter Lavin followed and slapped a single to left-center field to put two aboard with nobody out.  Jake Fox then lined out to first baseman Ricky Oropesa.  Oropesa attempted to throw behind the lead runner for a double-play, but threw errantly into left field.  Serna took third and Lavin followed him into second on the error.  Kelly Dugan then knocked them both in for a 2-0 lead with a single to left-center field.

Reading added another pair of runs on four hits – all either soft or sun-aided singles – in the third inning.  Jake Fox got the Fightins started with a one-out single through the hole on the left-side of the infield.  Kelly Dugan followed and sent a sun-aided single to center field.  An out later, Brock Stassi muscled a single into left-center field to plate Fox.  Raywilly Gomez then plunked a single down in the same spot for a 4-0 lead.

The Squirrels surged back to tie the game with four runs off right-hander Chris Bootcheck in the third.  With the bases loaded and one out, Matt Duffy laced a single into center field to plate Skyler Stromsmoe with Richmond’s first run of the night.  Mario Lisson followed and pounded a two-run double off the wall in left field.  Devin Harris then tied the game with an RBI groundout.

Richmond worked in front in the fifth when Duffy cracked a triple off the left-field fence and Lisson followed with a run-scoring single.  The Squirrels led on Lisson’s third RBI of the night, 5-4.

Bootcheck (0-1) departed after five innings having conceded five earned runs on nine hits.  He walked one and struck out two.  He took his first Eastern League loss.

Blach (7-4) settled in to work six innings.  He set aside the final 10 batters that he faced.  He was charged with four earned runs on seven hits – all singles.  He walked one and struck out four.  He earned his seventh win of the year.

Right-hander Edwin Quirarte returned from the Disabled List to work the seventh and eighth innings, retiring all six batters that he faced.  Righty Cody Hall then earned his 10^th save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.  In all, three Richmond hurlers set aside the final 19 Reading batters.  The Fightins did not have a base runner after the third inning.

The finale of the four-game series is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. at The Diamond on Sunday afternoon.  Richmond LHP Jack Snodgrass (8-1, 2.99) will make the start against RHP Severino Gonzalez (4-9, 4.91).  The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup begins at 1:05 p.m. on Sports Radio 910 and SportsRadio910.com.