Coon Drives Sens to Series-Opening Win

Brad Coon collected two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored, as the Harrisburg Senators beat the Reading Phillies in the first game of a three-game weekend series at Metro Bank Park, 5-2. The game was seen by a near-capacity crowd of 6207.

Coon got the Senators' offensive day off to a good start when he led off the first inning with a single, and then came around to score in the inning on a triple by Marvin Lowrance. Tim Pahuta's RBI single scored Lowrance, and the Senators (35-39) led it 2-0 after just one inning.

In the second inning, Coon added an RBI, bringing home Jesus Valdez with a groundout to first base. Jhonatan Solano reached third base in the inning, but was stranded when Danny Espinosa popped out to second base.

The teams traded runs in the fourth inning, starting with an RBI groundout from Neil Sellers in the top of the frame, which scored Quintin Berry and cut the Senators' lead to 3-1. But in the bottom of the inning, Coon came through again, driving home Solano with an RBI single, and extending the lead to three once again.

The Sens tacked on another run in the eighth inning, when a two-out hit from Jesus Valdez drove home Michael Martinez from second base, to make it 5-1. Reading (34-38) got one back in the top of the ninth, thanks to a Freddy Galvis double that scored Matt Rizzotti, but could get no closer against reliever Adam Carr.

John Lannan (1-0) earned the win in his first start of the season for the Senators, after joining the team from the Washington Nationals earlier this week. Lannan, the opening-day starter for the Nationals in each of the past two seasons, went seven innings and did not allow an earned run. J.C. Ramirez (1-1) took the loss for the R-Phils.

The teams play game two of the series on Saturday night at 7 PM at Metro Bank Park. Right-hander Andrew Kown (2-2, 3.43) starts for the Senators, against RHP Drew Naylor (6-6, 4.15) of Reading. Radio coverage on 1460 AM The Ticket and www.senatorsbaseball.com begins at 6:45 PM.