Squirrels Sneak By SeaWolves
The SeaWolves failed to hold a late lead on Friday night at The Diamond as they dropped the series opener to the Richmond Flying Squirrels 4-3.
Richmond jumped ahead in the second against Erie starter Tommy Collier. With one out, Mitch Delfino stole second and scored on a two-out Myles Schroder base hit for a 1-0 lead.
The Squirrels added a second run in the fourth. Delfino led off with a double and moved to third on a Engel Beltre sacrifice bunt. Schroder singled home Delfino for a 2-0 lead.
The SeaWolves tied the game in the top of the sixth against Squirrels starter Tyler Beede. Wynton Bernard singled with one out and Dean Green crushed a two-run home run to right-center. The home run for Green was his eighth and he is responsible for driving in five runs on the current road trip.
Collier would exit after five innings, taking a no-decision. He allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Erie took the lead against Tyler Mizenko in the eighth. Curt Powell led off with a single to right. Bernard followed, laid down a sacrifice bunt, and on a throwing error by Mizenko, both runners reached safely putting two on for Green. Green hit into a double play, scoring Powell for a 3-2 lead.
The lead did not last long as Richmond regained the lead in the last of the eighth. Beltre led off with a single off of reliever Zac Reininger. Reininger had tossed two scoreless prior to the eighth but his night would end after walking Jaskson Williams with one out. Jeff Ferrell came in looking for a five-out save but promptly gave up a single to Kelby Tomlinson, tying the game. Rando Moreno followed and laid down a squeeze bunt, plating Williams for a 4-3 Squirrels lead.
Josh Osich earned his 16th save shutting the SeaWolves down in order in the ninth.
Reininger (0-2) took the loss allowing two runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of work.