Holton's Two Homers Not Enough in Finale with Richmond

The SeaWolves (38-19) allowed double-digit runs for the first time this season as Richmond (17-40) won the series finale 11-9.

Garrett Burhenn started for Erie and struggled in the first. With one out, he hit Thomas Gavello with a pitch. A walk to Cal Mitchell and a single by Turner Hill loaded the bases before Jairo Pomares made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly.

In the second against Richmond starter Joe Whitman, Eduardo Valencia hit a leadoff single. Jake Holton sent him to third base on a double. Chris Meyers followed with a two-run double, giving Erie a 2-1 lead.

In the third, Burhenn retired the first two batters before walking Mitchell and Hill. Pomares followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2. Sabin Ceballos followed with an infield single to score Hill and give Richmond a 3-2 lead. Burhenn departed at that point, lasting just 2.2 innings. Yosber Sanchez relieved him and allowed a two-run double to Adrian Sugastey, making it 5-2 and closing Burhenn’s day at five earned runs allowed.

In the third, after singles from Thayron Liranzo and Valencia, Meyers hit his second two-run double of the game to make it 5-4.

In the fifth against Ryan Boyer, Pomares slugged a solo homer to extend Richmond’s lead to 6-4.

In the bottom of the fifth, Whitman departed with one out after a walk to Liranzo. Jake Holton, against Cameron Cotter, drove a two-run homer to tie the game at 6-6.

Sugastey led off the sixth with a homer against Boyer, giving Richmond a 7-6 lead.

Trei Cruz roped a double to score Danny Serretti in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game again at 7-7.

Matt Merrill took over for the SeaWolves in the seventh and issued a leadoff walk to Gavello, who stole second and scored on Mitchell’s go-ahead double. Ceballos scored Mitchell on an RBI single with two out, making it 9-7.

Sugastey drove a two-run double in the ninth against RJ Petit to make it 11-7. Sugastey had three extra-base hits and five RBIs.

Holton walloped his second two-run homer of the game in the bottom of the ninth, cutting the deficit to 11-9. Holton had his third multi-homer game of the season.

Cotter (1-0) beat Merrill (2-3). Raymond Burgos got the final two outs for Richmond to record his first save.

Erie begins a six-game series in Altoona on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

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