In a 12-inning classic, Jacob Heyward delivered a walk-off single and sealed an 8-7 win for the Richmond Flying Squirrels over the Erie SeaWolves Thursday night at The Diamond.
Five of the eight total runs scored by Richmond (64-70, 24-41) came with two outs in their second consecutive extra-innings game against Erie (79-56, 40-26).
Trailing by one run in the seventh, Diego Rincones plated the game-tying run with an RBI single to even the score at 5-5.
Clay Helvey stranded two runners in a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout to keep the game tied. Daniel Tillo allowed an unearned run in the 10th inning off an RBI groundout from Daniel Cabrera to send Erie ahead, 6-5.
In the bottom of the 10th, Jacob Heyward appeared as a pinch hitter and tied the game at 6-6 off a fielder’s choice that scored Will Wilson from third base.
The SeaWolves moved to a 7-6 advantage in the 11th when Parker Meadows hit an RBI single to center field.
Rincones collected his fourth RBI of the night in the bottom of the 11th off a groundout that scored Brett Auerbach to notch the score even at 7-7. Wil Jensen (Win, 2-2) set down the SeaWolves in order in the top of the 12th with a flyout, a strikeout and a groundout.
With Wilson at third base and one out in the 12th, Heyward blasted a base hit to left-center field for an 8-7, walk-off win. It was the second walk-off hit for Heyward’s career with Richmond, both against the SeaWolves. He also had a walk-off, 10th-inning grand slam in 2019.
In the first, Dane Myers led off the ballgame with a solo home run to left-center field to give Erie a 1-0 lead.
Richmond responded with a two-run homer from Wilson in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead. It was the third home run over Wilson’s last four games and his 11th with the Flying Squirrels this year.
The SeaWolves evened the score at 2-2 when Myers hit a run-scoring single in the fifth inning.
With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Rincones sent a single to left field that scored two runs and gave Richmond a 4-2 lead.
Erie fought back with a two-run sixth inning to tie the game at 4-4. Chris Wright entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded and notched a strikeout to close out the frame. Wright finished the night with five strikeouts over 2.1 innings.
Quincy Nieporte pushed the SeaWolves in front, 5-4, with a solo home run in the seventh.
Richmond starter Landen Roupp tossed five innings, allowing three hits, two runs and two walks with two strikeouts.
The Flying Squirrels kick off the two-day celebration of the Richmond 34 on Friday and the first 1,000 fans 15 and older can receive a special T-shirt presented by Capital One. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.
Right-handed pitcher Kai-Wei Teng (5-12, 5.36) will start for Richmond opposed by right-hander Ty Madden (2-1, 2.03) for Erie.
Tickets are available online at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets, by phone at 804-359-3866 or in person at the Flying Squirrels ticket office.
The Flying Squirrels will host their first playoff game since 2014 on Thursday, Sept. 22 at The Diamond. Tickets for all potential playoff games in Richmond are on sale now at SquirrelsBaseball.com.
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Chris Graham
