McVaney Homers in Series Opener
he SeaWolves dropped their fourth straight game as they opened up Memorial Day weekend with a 7-6 loss to the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
The SeaWolves struck first in the bottom of the third inning. Harold Castro led off with a single. Jeff McVaney doubled putting runners on second and third for JaCoby Jones. Jones tripled home the runs for a 2-0 lead. Dean Green then grounded to short, scoring Jones for a 3-0 advantage. The RBI was Green's league-leading 46th.
The Flying Squirrels tied the game in the fifth against Erie starter Cory Riordan. Christian Arroyo singled to start the inning and Austin Slater walked, putting two on base. Hunter Cole doubled home Arroyo making it a 3-1 game. With one out, Ryder Jones sent a bouncer to second, and on a Casey Frawley error, two runs scored, tying the game.
Richmond would take the lead in the seventh. With two outs, Rando Moreno singled. Arroyo followed with an RBI double, plating Moreno for a 4-3 Squirrels lead. Slater followed with a single, scoring Arroyo for a two-run Richmond edge.
The Wolves struck back in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Frawley doubled bringing the tying run to the plate. With one out, Jeff McVaney sent a line-drive home run over the wall in left making it a 5-5 game. The home run for McVaney was his fifth.
Richmond quickly responded in the top of eighth against reliever Kurt Spomer. Jones led off with a single and was tripled home by Myles Schroder for a 6-5 Squirrels lead. Eliezer Zambrano walked putting runners on the corners for Ali Castillo. Castillo hit into a double play, scoring Schroder for a 7-5 Richmond lead.
The SeaWolves answered in the bottom of the eighth with two outs. Corey Jones doubled and scored on an Austin Green single making it 7-6. Erie would get no closer.
Spomer (1-1) took his first loss of the season allowing two runs on two hits with a walk in 1.1 innings.
Richmond reliever Jake Smith (2-1) earned the win and Taylor Rodgers earned the save tossing a scoreless ninth.
Riordan took his second straight no-decision. He allowed five runs on 10 hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work.
The SeaWolves and Squirrels meet in the second game of the series on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. RHP Myles Jaye (1-4, 4.72 ERA) takes the mound for Erie against RHP Tyler Beede (2-2, 3.68 ERA).
Saturday features post-game Zambelli Fireworks. The SeaWolves will wear special blue caps to be auctioned off to benefit Highmark Caring Place.