The Richmond Flying Squirrels (44-40) coasted past the Harrisburg Senators (43-44), 5-1, on Thursday night at The Diamond. With the win, the Squirrels avoided a sweep by the Senators and finished their six-game homestand at a record of 4-2.
Richmond got the bats out in a big way against lefty Matthew Spann in the second. Juan Ciriaco singled to center field to lead off the inning. That triggered a stretch of six consecutive singles. Eliezer Zambrano followed with a single before Jesus Galindo dropped down a bunt-single to load the bases. Matt Lujan then aided his own cause with an RBI single sprayed to left field. Myles Schroder followed and yanked the first pitch up the third-base line for a two-run single. Engel Beltre capped a four-run inning when he grounded into a double-play to plate Lujan.
Lujan held the Senators without a hit through the first three innings, but an error on Ciriaco opened the door a crack in the fourth. Brian Goodwin reached on that error with one out. Lujan then walked Matt Skole to put two aboard. Drew Vettleson then cracked a single to right-center field to plate Goodwin with Harrisburg’s first run.
Both starting pitchers went six innings. Lujan (6-5) earned the win and was charged with just a lone unearned run on two hits. He walked two and struck out four in his sixth victory of the season. Spann was charged with four earned runs on 10 hits and took the loss – his first. He walked one and struck out five.
The Squirrels completed their scoring with a run against right-hander Erik Davis in the seventh inning. Ciriaco knocked in the run with a sacrifice-fly to right field.
Lefty Phil McCormick and right-handers Joan Gregorio and Derek Law finished the win out of the Richmond bullpen. There was no save awarded in the win.
In a flurry of arms of legs not seen since Michael Flatley and the Lord of the Dance, Michael Scholze expressed his love for the Richmond fans as he only he know how. Scholze delivered a dance-poem when he joined the Molly Maids following the sixth inning. The routine was met with a tepid round of applause.
The Squirrels travel to Trenton, NJ, to open a four-game series with the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) at ARM & HAMMER Park on Friday night. The opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. Richmond RHP Joe Biagini (7-5, 1.86) will make the start against Trenton RHP Brady Lail (5-3, 2.43). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.
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Chris Graham
