The Richmond Flying Squirrels (29-24) used a superb outing from RHP Austin Fleet in a 4-1 win on Saturday in Bowie to cruise to their fifth consecutive win. Fleet (4-1) worked a season-high six scoreless innings as the Squirrels bullpen held on through the late innings to preserve the win. Closer Derek Law pitched a scoreless ninth inning to secure his league-leading 12th save of the year.
Richmond took an early lead in the first inning for the second consecutive night. Tyler Graham singled begin the game and then promptly swiped second base. Graham moved to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt Duffy for a 1-0 Squirrels edge.
The Squirrels added two runs in the third inning on as Tyler LaTorre led off with an infield single. LaTorre moved to second on the play due to an error on second baseman David Adams. Graham brought him home with a double to the left field corner. Graham was thrown out trying to steal third base but Kelby Tomlinson kept the inning alive with another double. Matt Duffy smacked a single into center to plate Tomlinson for a 3-0 Squirrels lead.
Austin Fleet faced the minimum in the first despite walking Niuman Romero with one out. Christian Walker followed and grounded into a difficult double play initiated by Myles Schroder at third base. Fleet walked a batter in the second inning and another in the third but was never fully in peril. He did not allow a hit until Garabez Rosa singled with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rosa was thrown out by Graham on the play trying to stretch the single into a double. Fleet finished with a season-high six innings pitched. He allowed no runs on two hits while walking three and striking out four in the win.
Hunter Strickland entered to relieve Fleet in the bottom of the seventh inning. Strickland yielded a solo home run to Dariel Alvarez to cut the lead to 3-1. K.D. Kang singled and Strickland then walked Michael Ohlman. David Adams executed a sacrifice bunt and Strickland induced a pop up on the next batter for the second out. Phil McCormick then entered to relive Strickland and faced the left handed hitting Johnny Ruettiger. McCormick walked Ruettiger but struck out the Chih Hsien-Chang to strand the bases loaded and keep the Squirrels in front 3-1.
Richmond added a run in the eighth inning off the Baysox reliever Anthony Vasquez who replaced starter Tim Berry. Berry (3-3) was removed after seven innings while allowing just three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in the loss.RHP Andrew Carignan pitched a scoreless eighth inning with a pair of walks and Derek Law closed out the ninth to earn his league-leading 12th save of the season.
The Flying Squirrels conclude a brief three game series in Bowie on Sunday at 2:05 PM. Richmond RHP Kyle Crick (2-1, 4.08) will make the start against Bowie LHP Jake Pettit (4-3, 5.77). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup begins at 1:35 p.m. on Sports Radio 910 and SportsRadio910.com.
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