Squirrels winning streak halted in soggy loss to Harrisburg

The Richmond Flying Squirrels stranded 10 runners on base and fell to the Harrisburg Senators, 6-2, on Friday night at The Diamond, ending their four-game win streak.

The Flying Squirrels (20-14) went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the game. The Senators (11-22) had scored just one run in the first three games of the series prior to breaking out with six runs on Friday.

Richmond took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Kyle Mottice walked with the bases loaded and scored Sandro Fabian.

In the third, the Senators tied the game, 1-1, off a sacrifice fly to left from Ramón Flores.

Harrisburg claimed the lead with a three-run fourth inning. With two men on, Senators pitcher Luis Reyes lined a two-RBI double and later scored on a fielding error to put the Senators in front, 4-1.

In the fifth inning, Heliot Ramos rocketed a solo home run to right field that chipped to deficit to 4-2. Ramos collected his fifth home run of the season, tying him for the team lead with David Villar and Vince Fernandez.

The Senators added two more in the ninth courtesy of a two-run homer from Jackson Reetz.

In his seventh start of the season, Sean Hjelle (Loss, 3-1) pitched 5.0 innings, allowing four hits, four runs (two earned) and one walk with six strikeouts.

Matt Seelinger entered with the bases loaded in the sixth inning but produced a flyout to strand the runners. Seelinger finished the night pitching 2.1 scoreless innings with one strikeout.

Reyes (Win, 3-3) entered in the second inning and held the Flying Squirrels to two runs off four hits through 5.0 innings while striking out eight.

The Flying Squirrels battle the Senators Saturday night with a first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Left-hander Phil Pfeifer (0-1, 10.80) is scheduled to start for Richmond opposed by left-handed pitcher Tim Cate (1-3, 4.25) for Harrisburg.

On Saturday, Richmond will celebrate the ‘50s Golden Age and the Swinging ‘60s with their fauxback jerseys featuring a reimagined identity of the Flying Squirrels from the days of old Parker Field. In-Your-Face Fireworks will be at the end of the ballgame from inside the fences. Gates open at 5 p.m. with a first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

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