Left-hander Jack Snodgrass and right-hander Daryl Maday co-authored the first no-hitter in Flying Squirrels’ franchise history as Richmond blanked the New Britain Rock Cats, 1-0, on Friday night at The Diamond. The Rock Cats had prevailed by the same score in the conclusion of Thursday night’s suspended season-opener.
Snodgrass worked the first six innings of the ballgame, allowing just a lone Rock Cat to reach base. That occurred in the second inning when he walked Evan Bigley. He responded by retiring the next 14 batters before being removed after six innings. In the seven-inning contest, the Squirrels elected to bring their closer, Maday, on for the seventh inning. Danny Santana reached base courtesy of an error to open the inning and a batter later Josmil Pinto was walked to put two aboard. However, Maday fanned Bigley for the second out of the inning and then punched out Dan Rohlfing to finish the no-hitter.
Snodgrass (1-0) needed just 71 pitches to earn his first Double-A win. His only blemish was the lone walk, while he struck out three. Maday earned his first save of the season and added to his list of historical franchise accomplishments. Maday also owns the first ever win for the Squirrels at The Diamond, and their first post-season victory.
New Britain righty Trevor May (0-1) was also impressive in his 2013 debut, but took the hard-luck loss, conceding just one run over five innings. That run came courtesy of Javier Herrera, who blasted his first home run of the season to left field. The solo-shot came to lead off the third inning.
Five New Britain pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout of the Squirrels as the Rock Cats claimed the suspended first game of the season. Bobby Lanigan (1-0) earned the win for New Britain, working a scoreless seventh inning. Lefty Blake Martin turned in 2 1/3 scoreless innings prior to Lanigan. Left-hander Jose Gonzalez handled the eighth inning, and right-hander Mike Tonkin earned his first save of the year with a perfect ninth inning.
The Rock Cats scratched across the lone run in the ballgame in the eighth inning against Richmond right-hander Edwin Quirarte. After casually recording the first two outs in the inning, Quirarte issued back-to-back walks to Eric Farris and Dan Rohlfing. Antoan Richardson was then hit by a Quirarte pitch to load the bases before Danny Santana knocked in the only run of the game with a single to right field. Richmond right fielder Jarrett Parker did cut down a second run at the plate with an exceptional throw, but it proved irrelevant in the end. Quirarte (0-1) was saddled with the loss for the Squirrels.
Prior to the suspension of the game on Thursday night, Richmond righty Craig Westcott had tossed four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, while walking one and striking out three. Rock Cats southpaw Logan Darnell had kept the Squirrels into the fourth inning. Fellow left-hander Blake Martin kept his line clean by recording the final out of the inning on just one pitch following the resumption of the game. Neither starter factored in the decision.
Game three of the four-game series is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. on Saturday night at The Diamond. LHP Chris Gloor (0-0, —) toes the rubber for the Squirrels opposite LHP Pat Dean (0-0, —) for the Rock Cats. Pregame coverage begins on SportsRadio 910 and SportsRadio910.com at 5:35 p.m.
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Chris Graham
