The Richmond Flying Squirrels blitzed the Harrisburg Senators with a seven-run second inning and rolled to a 12-3 win on Thursday night at Metro Bank Park. The Squirrels have now won all three of their ballgames played on City Island during the 2012 season. The win equaled the most lop-sided victory of the season for the Squirrels, a mark they had just established on Monday against Reading.
After a quiet first inning, the Squirrels erupted with their most prolific offensive inning of the season in the second. Harrisburg right-hander Trevor Holder, making his Double-A debut, absorbed the uprising. Russ Mitchell led off with a single and Juan Perez belted a two-run home run into the left-field bleachers. Perez’s seventh home run of the season put the Squirrels on top, 2-0. Richmond was nowhere close to done, as Daniel Mayora followed with a single into right field. Ryan Cavan made it four straight hits with a single into left field. Mike Kickham attempted to lay down a sacrifice-bunt and instead forced Mayora at third. Gary Brown then drilled an RBI double into the left-field corner, plating Cavan. Mark Minicozzi walked and Tommy Joseph capped the inning with a low-flying grand slam over the right field wall.
Joseph’s grand slam was just the fourth in franchise history and ended the night for Holder (0-1), who was doomed to the loss. He was charged with seven runs on six hits over just 1 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one, falling in his first Double-A start.
The Squirrels tacked on a run in the fourth against right-hander Ryan Tatusko. Kickham got the Squirrels started with a single flared into left field. Brown followed with his second hit, a single, and Ehire Adrianza loaded the bases with a single. Richmond took an 8-0 lead when Minicozzi grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Kickham.
Meanwhile, Kickham (7-7) was sensational. He conceded just an unearned run in the eighth inning, his final frame on the hill. He earned his seventh victory of the season over 7 2/3 innings, his longest career outing. The lefty conceded just four single, walked three and struck out three.
Richmond capped the night offensively with four runs in the top of the ninth inning. Included was a three-run home run for Mayora off of Marcos Frias to left field. Following the home run, Frias hit Cavan, inciting a shouting match between Frias and the Richmond dugout. Frias was ejected, but nothing came of the dustup.
Harrisburg picked up two runs off of right-hander Austin Fleet in the ninth inning. Both runs scored a triple from Jeff Kobernus. Fleet finished the win for the Squirrels with a strikeout of Destin Hood.
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Chris Graham
