Bauers Bombs: Jake Swats Three as SWB splits DH 

BOX G1 | SWB 9, SYR 7

BOX C2 | SYR 7, SWB 4

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre split the doubleheader with Syracuse after taking the first game and dropping the second. Jake Bauers shined with three home runs in the first contest for a record-tying eight runs batted in. SWB heads on the road after losing the series two games to four.

Game 1

The RailRiders got the offense going in the first. Back-to-back singles from Elijah Dunham and Andres Chaparro put two on. Jake Bauers smacked a three-run homer to right center field for an early lead.

Syracuse came right back in the next frame when Ronny Mauricio singled to reach and Michael Perez’s homer brought him home making it 3-2 RailRiders..

The Mets then tied it up with a solo shot in the third. Mark Vientos launched his third of the season.

The trio was at it again for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the third. Dunham singled, Chaparro doubled, and Bauers smoked a home run into right center field for a 6-3 advantage.

The home team added to it with long ball from Michael Hermosillo for an insurance run.

A four-run fifth for Syracuse quickly tied it up. The Mets capitalized on two hits, a sacrifice fly, and a RailRiders error for two of the runs. Jaylin Davis hit his first homer of the season recording two RBIs for a 7-7 contest.

Jake Bauers was there again in the bottom half. Chaparro singled to reach and Bauers exploded for his third home run of the game in as many at-bats. It brought in his seventh and eighth RBIs tying a single-game record. The last RailRider to record eight RBI in a contest was Chris Gittens on June 27, 2021 at Lehigh Valley in a nine-inning contest. It was also the first three home run contest for a player since Mike Ford in 2019. SWB took the first game 9-7.

Mitch Spence (W, 1-1) got the start tossing five innings. He allowed seven runs on nine hits, but recorded six strikeouts. James Norwood tossed a clean inning of relief. Nick Ramirez (S, 2) came in to close a clean seventh.

Dylan Bundy (L, 0-1) gave up nine runs on four homers in 4.1 innings. Bubby Rossman finished the fifth cleanly. In rehab, Tommy Hunter tossed a clean frame.

Game 2

Syracuse put up three runs on three hits in the first frame. After a leadoff double from Cedrola, Arauz singled to left to send him home. Immediately after, Jaylin Davis doubled in two runs for a three-run lead.

The Mets added to it in the second with a pair of runs on two hits and an error for a 5-0 advantage.

Arauz struck again with a sacrifice fly after Mark Vientos doubled to reach. Syracuse led 6-0.

In the sixth, the RailRiders got on the board. A leadoff single from Jamie Westbrook and back-to-back walks to Bauers and Bastidas loaded the bases. Rodolfo Duran took a walk as well to plate a run. Mickey Gasper's RBI single drove in two and Wilmer Difo sent in one of his own. The RailRiders trailed just 6-4.

Syracuse tacked on one more with a run scoring single from Arauz after Vientos doubled to get in position.

The RailRiders worked the bases loaded in the seventh. Andres Chaparro won an 18-pitch at-bat after fouling 12 straight and took a walk to first. With another walk from Bauers and an infield single from Bastidas, the bases were loaded. SWB couldn’t bring one home and dropped 7-4.

Sean Boyle (L, 1-1) took the first four. He gave up five runs, three earned, on six hits. Deivi Garcia threw an inning allowing one run. Matt Krook had a clean frame of his own. Matt Bowman took on the seventh with a run on two hits.

Humberto Meija (W, 1-1) got the start pitching five innings of shutout ball. He let up just two hits in the fifth inning. Seth Elledge recorded only one out in the sixth with four runs crossing on a hit and three walks. Grant Harwig finished the inning and allowed the inherited runners to score. Hartwig loaded the bases in the seventh and handed the ball to Zach Muckenhern. Muckenhern induced a pop up to end the contest.

The RailRiders head on a two week road trip. The team heads to St. Paul with the first contest on Tuesday, April 18 at 6:37 PM. After six games, they will travel to Worcester.