Home Richmond breezes past Fisher Cats in opener, 12-1
Sports

Richmond breezes past Fisher Cats in opener, 12-1

Contributors

richmond-squirrelsRight-hander Tyler Beede was magnificent in his Double-A debut as the Richmond Flying Squirrels (26-26) glided to a, 12-1, rout of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (26-28) at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Friday night.  The Squirrels pounded out a season-high 18 hits in their first meeting of the season with the Fisher Cats.  With the win, the Squirrels return to .500 for the first time since they were 3-3 on April 15th.

Kelby Tomlinson got the Richmond offense clicking quickly against righty Taylor Cole as he led off the ballgame with a double into the right-field corner.  Rando Moreno bunted him to third and Mac Williamson made it 1-0 with an RBI groundout.

Beede worked out of  bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first, and the Squirrels offense picked up an additional run in the second.  Ricky Oropesa led off and rifled a double off the right-field wall on one hop.  Mitch Delfino followed and shoved a double up the first-base line that scored Oropesa for a 2-0 lead.

Williamson doubled the Richmond lead in the fifth.  With Moreno aboard off a single, Williamson blasted Cole’s first-pitch fastball off the hotel that sits over the left-center field fence.  His fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot, extended the Squirrels’ lead to 4-0.

Cole (2-5) exited to the defeat after five innings.  He was charged with four earned runs on eight hits.  He walked one, struck out five and endured his fifth loss of the season.

Right-hander Will Browning entered for the sixth inning, and the Squirrels blew the game wide open against him.  Richmond sent 10 men in the sixth, plating six of them on six hits.  The inning was highlighted by a two-run single from Moreno, an RBI single from Williamson, a two-run double from Devin Harris and an RBI double from Oropesa.  The Squirrels departed the inning holding a 10-0 lead.  Williamson had notched three hits and four runs batted in.  Moreno and Oropesa each had three hits through six innings.

Richmond added to their tally against right-hander Danny Barnes in the seventh.  Jackson Williams singled with two outs, allowing Engel Beltre to pinch-hit for Tomlinson.  He blasted a two-run home run to right field to stretch the lead to 12-0.

Meanwhile, Beede (1-0) was in control.  He did not allow a hit after the first inning, and permitted no Fisher Cat past first base from the second inning on.  He earned his first Double-A win over seven scoreless innings, conceding just two hits.  He walked three and struck out four.

Right-hander Pedro Rodriguez finished the win with two innings of relief.  He allowed the only New Hampshire run, which came courtesy of a K.C. Hobson solo-home run in the ninth.

Moreno equaled the franchise-record for hits in a game with five singles as he finished 5-for-5 for the night.

Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Saturday night.  Richmond RHP Kyle Crick (1-1, 1.78) will make the start against  New Hampshire RHP Joel Pineiro (1-2, 5.70) will make the start for the Fisher Cats.  The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin at 6:35 p.m. on Fox Sports 910 and FoxSportsRichmond.com.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.