Richmond struck out 14 times, issued nine walks in 9-3 defeat

The Richmond Flying Squirrels lost, 9-3, to the Hartford Yard Goats on Saturday night at The Diamond, their third straight defeat.

The Yard Goats (28-16) scored all nine of their runs with two outs and had five stolen bases. The Flying Squirrels (23-21) pitching staff tied a season-high with nine walks allowed by their four pitchers.

With the bases loaded in the third inning, Sean Roby punched a two-RBI single into center field off Hartford starter Noah Davis (Win, 2-3) and gave Richmond a 2-0 advantage. Davis finished with seven strikeouts over five innings with two runs allowed.

Hartford responded with three runs in the top of the third to take a 3-2 advantage. Ezequiel Tovar drove in two runs with a single and Isaac Collins scored from third base on a double steal to give Hartford the lead.

Jimmy Herron extended the Hartford lead to 5-2 with a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

Armani Smith moved the score to 5-3 with an RBI double to center field in the sixth. Smith finished the night 2-for-3 and has collected three multi-hit games over seven played at Double-A.

With two runners on and two outs in the seventh, Kyle Datres hammered a three-run homer to left field to push the Yard Goats’ advantage to 8-3.

Brenton Doyle pushed the Yard Goats ahead, 9-3, in the eighth with an RBI single. Four of the five pitchers used by Richmond allowed at least one run against the Yard Goats.

Richmond starter Bryan Brickhouse (Loss, 2-3) allowed three runs, two hits and tied a season-high five walks over 3.2 innings with three strikeouts.

The homestand concludes Sunday with a first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m. The first 1,000 kids ages 14 and under will receive a Patriotic Youth Bucket Hat presented by Pepsi & Aquafina. Kids 14 and under are invited for Pre-Game Catch on the Field presented by Nesquik from 12:45-1:05 p.m. and after the game, kids are invited for Kids Run the Bases presented by Richmond Family Magazine following the conclusion of the game. Right-hander Gray Fenter (0-3, 5.33) will get the start for Richmond opposed by Hartford right-hander Karl Kauffmann (3-1, 2.81).

Tickets are available online at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets, by phone at 804-359-3866 or in person at the Flying Squirrels ticket office.