The Richmond Flying Squirrels scored a season-high 14 runs and smacked a season-high seven extra-base hits to defeat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 14-5, on Friday at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.
It was the third straight win for Richmond (22-36), tying the longest winning streak of the season for the Flying Squirrels. The Flying Squirrels have a 5-4 record nine games through the 10-day, 11-game road trip.
Richmond started its scoring in the first inning against New Hampshire (26-32) right-hander Patrick Murphy (Loss, 4-6). Following back-to-back singles from Johneshwy Fargas and Jalen Miller, Jacob Heyward reached on an error by Murphy that allowed Fargas to score.
The Flying Squirrels sent 10 men to the plate in the third, scoring four runs on three hits, three walks and an error. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Heyward smashed a two-run double to left field to give Richmond a 3-0 lead. It was Heyward’s third consecutive game with a double. Two batters later, Zach Houchins singled to left to bring in Heyward. Later in the inning, Houchins crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Van Horn.
Right-hander Brandon Lawson (Win, 2-2) retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced—allowing just two hits—to hold the Fisher Cats scoreless over the first four frames.
Richmond added to its lead in the fifth. After back-to-back walks to start the inning, Van Horn lofted his second sacrifice fly of the game to make it 6-0. Two batters later, after C.J. McElroy doubled to put runners on second and third, Fisher Cats shortstop Kevin Smith threw wild of first base after fielding a grounder of Fargas’ bat, allowing two runs to score on the error.
New Hampshire clawed back in the bottom of the fifth with three runs. Former University of Richmond captain Vinny Capra started the inning with a single on the first pitch and later scored on a single by Chad Spanberger. Then, after a wild pitch brought home Smith, who had previously drawn a walk, Nash Knight doubled to center field to score Spanberger and make it 8-3.
The Flying Squirrels broke the game wide open in the sixth with five runs, kick-started by a solo home run by Heyward, his seventh of the season. After Jonah Arenado singled, Houchins left the yard with a two-run shot to left-center field to make it 11-3 and set a new season high for runs in a single game. Gio Brusa and Hamlet Marte hit back-to-back doubles to add the fourth run of the inning, and McElroy brought home a run with a groundout.
The five runs and five hits in the frame tied season highs for runs and hits in a single inning.
Heyward finished the game 2-for-5 with a double, home run and four RBIs, tying a single-game high in RBIs. His home run tied him for the active team lead in home runs with Jalen Miller. Over his last 10 games, Heyward is batting .300 (12-for-40) with six doubles, one home run, six RBIs, seven walks and eight runs scored. He also tied his season high for consecutive games on base by reaching safely for the 11th consecutive game.
Houchins went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. It was his fourth multi-hit game in his last five games, and his sixth multi-hit game of the road trip. During the road trip (nine games), Houchins is batting .382 (13-for-34) with three doubles, four home runs, 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored.
Lawson’s night ended after he allowed a solo home run to Josh Palacios in the bottom of the sixth. He yielded four runs on six hits across a season-high 5.1 innings to earn his second win of the year.
The Flying Squirrels tallied their final run of the ballgame in the seventh. After Heyward drew a one-out walk—his team-best 33rd of the season—Arenado laced an RBI double to left to put Richmond ahead 14-4.
Arenado’s double was the fifth of the game for Richmond to tie a season high for doubles in a single game. It was also the seventh extra-base hit for the Flying Squirrels, a new season high for extra-base hits in a single game.
Arenado is batting .387 (12-for-31) over his last 10 games to lift his average to a team-best .303 on the season.
Right-hander Ryan Halstead tossed 2.2 innings of relief, allowing one run on a solo home run to Brock Lundquist in the eighth inning. Right-hander Kieran Lovegrove retired the side in order in the ninth to end the game.
The Flying Squirrels continue their series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Saturday at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, when left-hander Caleb Baragar (2-0, 2.40 ERA) is scheduled to face left-hander Zach Logue (3-3, 3.70 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and coverage begins with the Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup at 6:05 on Sports Radio 910 the Fan and 105.1 FM.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2019 Eastern League All-Star Week presented by Genworth. The All-Star Week festivities begin on Sunday, July 7 with Mayor Levar Stoney’s All-Star Week Kickoff on Brown’s Island, followed by the All-Star Country Music Jam on Monday, July 8, headlined by Big & Rich with special guests Cowboy Troy and DJ Sinister at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at Richmond Raceway. The Celebrity Home Run Derby is Tuesday, July 9 and the festivities wrap up with the 2019 Eastern League All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 10.
For tickets or more information, call 804-359-3866 (FUNN), visit SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets or stop by the Flying Squirrels box office.
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