Sens Sweep Reading With 12-2 Victory

The Harrisburg Senators downed the Reading Fightin Phils 12-2 Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Senators won their fifth consecutive game and finished their third series sweep of the season. 

The Senators jumped to an early lead in the first on an RBI single by Dan Gamache. 
Gamache added to the lead with a long home run to right field to lead off the third, his second of the season. Later in the frame, Austin Davidson tallied another run with a run-scoring double to plate Drew Ward. 
Reading scored their only two runs in the fourth on an RBI single by Reading starting pitcher Harold Arauz and throwing error on the same play by Senators starting pitcher Jefry Rodriguez. 
The Senators broke the game open with a 10-batter, six-run fifth. Taylor Gushue started the scoring in the inning with a run-scoring single to plate Hunter Jones, who reached on an error to start the frame. After the next batter, Gamache, singled, Drew Ward ripped a two-run triple to center to drive in another pair of runs. Following a run-scoring fielder's choice by Austin Davidson, Stephen Perez hit an RBI single to right. One batter later, Zach Collier capped the inning's scoring by lining an RBI double down the left-field line to put the Senators ahead 9-2.
Gushue tacked on an additional run in the sixth by crushing a solo home run over the left-field wall, his second of the series and sixth overall. 
Khayyan Norfork finished the Senators scoring in the top of the ninth with a two-run home run to left, his second on the year, to make it 12-2 Senators which would be the final score. Kaleb Fleck and Bryan Harper combined to throw four scoreless innings to close out the victory. 
Rodriguez (5-3) earned the win after allowing two-unearned runs on two hits while striking out six and walking four over five innings. Arauz (3-4) took the loss after surrendering nine runs, seven earned, on nine hits over four and a third frames. 
Gushue led the Senators with three hits as he along with three other Senators finished with multiple hits, while four players finished with multiple RBI.
The win captured the Senators' first series sweep at Reading since May 17-19, 2013. The Senators moved to a season-best four-game over .500. 
The Senators begin a seven-game homestand with a three-game series against the Richmond Flying Squirrels which starts Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at FNB Field. The game can be heard on CBS Sports Harrisburg 96.5 & 95.3 FM and 1400 AM or at www.cbssportsharrisburg.com beginning at 6:45 p.m.