The Richmond Flying Squirrels (59-60) erupted for five runs in the top of the 13th inning to defeat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (56-61), 7-2, in a marathon ballgame on Saturday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. The ballgame (4:29) was the longest of the season for the Squirrels, who leveled the three-game series and pulled back within a game of .500.
Fisher Cats’ righty Dustin Antolin set the table for the Squirrels in the 13th as he walked the bases loaded with two outs. Joe Panik then delivered a go-ahead single to left field to give the Squirrels the lead back, 3-2. Javier Herrera then put the game out of reach with a grand slam to right-center field. Herrera’s 14th of the season was also the third grand slam of the year for the Squirrels.
After three scoreless innings, the Squirrels opened the scoring in the fourth against right-hander Marcus Walden. Mark Minicozzi led off and drew a walk from Walden to get Richmond started. An out later, Walden hit Jarrett Parker to put two aboard. Juan Ciriaco followed and pulled a single through the left-side of the infield. Minicozzi scored for a 1-0 lead.
Richmond righty Taylor Rogers held off the Fisher Cats through four innings. However, they leveled the ballgame in the fifth. Lance Zawadzki opened the frame with a single, and John Tolisano put runners on the corners with nobody out when he chopped a single up the right-field line. Rogers got a line-drive double play off the bat of Adam Loewen for the first two outs, but couldn’t escape the jam. Kyle Burns laced the following pitch into the left-field corner. The double plated Zawadzki to tie the ballgame, 1-1.
Rogers retired after five innings and didn’t factor in the decision. He allowed just a lone run on four hits, walked three and struck out four.
Walden went an inning further, but also didn’t earn a decision. He worked six innings and allowed one run on five hits. He walked two, hit one and struck out three.
Right-hander Edwin Quirarte worked a perfect inning of relief and lefty Phil McCormick followed to retire four consecutive batters. Right-hander Cody Hall then entered and worked a scoreless inning and two thirds to take it to the 10th inning.
Fisher Cats’ right-hander Randy Boone was tremendous in relief. He worked three scoreless innings, setting aside the final eight batters that he faced. Righty Allan Farina entered to work two scoreless innings to take the game to the bottom of the 11th inning.
Each team scored in the 12th inning. Richmond plated a run against Antolin when he walked Kelby Tomlinson to start the inning. Ryan Lollis bunted him up to second base, and Panik knocked him in with a single back through the middle.
The Fisher Cats got a run off left-hander Josh Osich in the bottom of the inning. The run was plated by Adam Loewen on a soft-single to left field. Osich was otherwise tremendous, working the longest outing (2.2 IP) of his career. Right-hander Drew Bowlin (2-2) entered and recorded the final out in the 12th. He also worked the 13th inning and earned the win.
The finale of the three-game series is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Richmond LHP Jack Snodgrass (9-4, 3.61) will make the start against New Hampshire RHP Marcus Stroman (6-3, 2.93). The Flying Squirrels Pregame Warmup will begin on Sports Radio 910, www.sportsradio910.com and IHeart Radio at 2:35 p.m.
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