Rincones Blasts Two Home Runs In Erie's Series Opening Win

Diego Rincones and some new faces led the SeaWolves to a series-opening 7-3 win over Harrisburg.

After Erie opened the second with consecutive singles against Harrisburg starter Alemao Hernandez, Rincones clobbered a three-run home run to give the SeaWolves an early 3-0 lead.

In the third inning, Erie loaded the bases with three singles over the course of four batters to begin the inning. With Dillon Dingler batting, Hernandez threw a wild pitch, allowing Andrew Navigato to score Erie’s fourth run. Erie would not score more in that frame.

Keider Montero had a strong bounce-back performance on the mound for Erie after failing to get out of the first inning in his last start. He did not allow a hit through the first three innings. He ran into some trouble in the fourth. The first two Senators singled. Then, James Wood flew out to center field. Both runners tagged to advance and the lead runner, J.T. Arruda, scored when Andrew Navigato’s relay to second base was thrown away for an error. Donovan Casey followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2.

Montero wound up going six frames, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks. He (4-2) tied a season- and career-high with nine strikeouts on route to the win. Hernandez (1-2) took the loss.

Harrisburg threatened against reliever Lael Lockhart in the seventh. Trey Lipscomb blasted his first Double-A home run to pull them within a run. Lockhart then walked two straight hitters, putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base with one out, but he worked out of the jam.

Erie put the game out of reach in the eighth inning. With one out, Justice Bigbie notched his fourth hit. He had singles in all four trips to the plate in his Double-A debut. Dillon Dingler followed with a long, two-run home run off the batter’s eye in center field. Rincones followed with his second home run of the game. The consecutive home runs gave Erie its 7-3 lead.

Blake Holub secured the win with two hitless innings of relief to end the game. Chris Meyers, like Bigbie, made his Double-A debut and notched two singles.

Erie takes a two-game winning streak into the second game of the series tomorrow. Ty Madden opposes Alex Troop with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.