Sens Open 2009 Season with 6-5 Win
There were heroes aplenty on Thursday night as every regular player had at least one at bat in the ballgame. The Senators pounded out 15 hits, four off the bat of Edgardo Baez and two each by Seth Bynum, Jhonatan Solano, Ian Desmond and Marvin Lowrance.
The R-Phils took a 2-0 lead off Senators starter Mike O'Connor by scoring single runs in the second and third innings. Harrisburg came back with a run in the fifth when Lowrance hit an rbi pinch-hit triple scoring Baez.
In the top of the sixth, Desmond hit a solo home run to left field that cleared the left field picnic area at First Energy Stadium. The Sens first homer of the year tied the game 2-2.
Adam Carr pitched an effective fifth inning, but struggled in the bottom of the sixth giving up three runs as Reading took a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning.
The Sens weren't done though as they rallied for two runs in the seventh on four hits. Bynum and Leonard Davis both had run scoring singles but the rally was clipped at those two runs and the Sens still trailed 5-4.
In the eighth inning, the Senators loaded the bases with one out but failed to score when they bounced into their fourth of fifth double plays on the night.
In the top of the ninth, trailing by a run, Bynum led the inning off with a homer to right center field tying the game 5-5. Eventual winning pitcher Matt Avery (1-0) pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth which meant extra innings on opening night.
With one out in the tenth Baez walked and then stole second base. Solano singled, moving Baez to third base. Lowrance then delivered on a single to left field on the first pitch he saw from reliever Josh Shortslef, scoring Baez and giving the Sens a 6-5 lead.
Zech Zinicola (S1) pitched out of trouble in the last of the tenth to earn his first save of the year and get the Sens season started with a 6-5 win.
Game two of the 2009 season is Friday night at 7:05pm in Reading. LH Justin Jones takes the hill for the Senators against LH Joe Savery for the R-Phils.