Squirrels bats silent: Richmond falls for sixth straight time

The Richmond Flying Squirrels lost their sixth consecutive game, falling, 3-1, to the Harrisburg Senators on Saturday at FNB Field.

The sixth straight defeat tied a season high for most consecutive losses for Richmond (32-57, 9-13). Bryce Johnson finished the game 1-for-4 to extend his on-base streak to 14 games.

Harrisburg (50-41, 8-13) scored the game’s first runs in the second inning against Brandon Beachy (Loss, 3-6). With one out, Dante Bichette, Jr. tripled and scored on a single by Nick Banks. Hunter Jones followed with a double to bring in Banks and put the Senators up, 2-0.

The Senators tagged Beachy for nine hits, ending his night in the fifth with a double by Luis Garcia and an RBI single from Drew Ward. Ryan Halstead finished the frame for the Flying Squirrels with an inning-ending double play.

Beachy tied a career high with nine hits allowed, yielding three runs across 4.1 innings. He struck out five and did not issue a walk. Beachy has failed to complete five innings in three straight starts.

Mario Sanchez (Win, 7-2) allowed just two hits across six scoreless innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk. He retired the Flying Squirrels offense in order in five of his six frames.

The Flying Squirrels avoided a shutout with a run in the seventh. With runners on first and third, Zach Houchins plated Jacob Heyward with an RBI groundout.

Richmond brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth after Peter Maris led off with a triple, but Aaron Barrett (Save, 17) rebounded to strike out the side for the second straight night to record a scoreless ninth inning and end the game.

The Flying Squirrels finish their series with the Harrisburg Senators on Sunday, when right-hander Brandon Lawson (2-5, 4.30 ERA) is slated to face right-hander Jackson Tetreault (3-5, 4.83 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., and coverage begins with the Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup at 12:30 p.m. on Sports Radio 910 the Fan and 105.1 FM.

After a seven-game road trip, the Flying Squirrels return to Richmond on Thursday, July 18 to open a series against the Erie SeaWolves. Tickets are available now at SquirrelsBaseball.com, by phone at 804-359-FUNN (3866) or in person at the Flying Squirrels offices.