First Place SeaWolves Take Down Senators in 11

The first place Erie SeaWolves won an extra innings thriller over the Harrisburg Senators, 7-6, in 11 innings on Saturday night at FNB Field. The win, coupled with a Bowie victory over Altoona, keeps the Erie lead over the Baysox at one game heading into the final nine days of the regular season.
The Senators struck in the bottom of the first inning against Erie starter Anthony Castro. Luis Garcia doubled with one out and moved to third on a passed ball. He scored on a Michael Taylor sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
Erie took the lead in the top of the fourth against Senators reliever Eduardo Vera. Derek Hill reached on a single and Isaac Paredes walked, putting two on base. With one out, Josh Lester singled home Hill, tying the game. With two outs, Kody Eaves singled home Paredes for a 2-1 Erie lead. Cam Gibson followed with a three-run home run to right for a 5-1 advantage. The home run for Gibson was his eighth of the season.
Harrisburg slowly began to chip away at the Erie lead. In the last of the fourth, Taylor homered for the second time in the series, making it 5-2. Castro would exit the game after four innings of work with a no-decision. He allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Wladimir Pinto worked a scoreless fifth out of the Erie bullpen but ran into trouble in the sixth. Taylor tripled with one out and scored on a two-out Nick Banks base hit to make it a two-run game.
Harrisburg closed the gap in the eighth inning to a run against reliever Zac Houston. Adrían Sanchez led off with a single and scored on a two-out Tres Barrera base hit. Drew Carlton got the final out of the frame and came back out for the ninth.
In the last of the ninth, Carlton retired the first batter in Dante Bichette but gave up a single to Rhett Wiseman with one out. Carlton struck out Andrew Stevenson for the second out. Garcia then grounded to third an on an error by Paredes, the game continued. Sanchez followed and sent a double over the head of Gibson in left. On the play, Wiseman scored, but the Erie defense came up huge with a Gibson to Cole Peterson to Chace Numata play to cut down Garcia at the plate, saving the game, sending it to extra frames.
Erie went quietly in the top of the 10^th and Carlton went back out for the bottom half. Sanchez was the free runner on second for Harrisburg and the SeaWolves intentionally waked Taylor. Ian Sagdal laid down a bunt for a base hit, loading the bases with no outs. Carlton induced a 6-2-3 double play to record the first two outs of the frame. Banks walked to reload the bases and Carlton got Bichette to ground out, sending the game into the 11^th.
Harrisburg reliever Brian Bonnell worked a scoreless 10^th and was back out to work in the 11^th. Paredes was the free runner at second and he advanced to third on an Azocar groundout. Lester was intentionally walked bringing up Kody Clemens. Clemens singled through the right side, scoring Paredes for a 6-5 lead. Eaves then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Lester for a 7-5 advantage.
Erie summoned Nolan Blackwood to work the last of the 11^th. Harrisburg started with Bichette as the free runner on second. Wiseman led off and singled home Bichette to make it a 7-6 game. Stevenson followed with a base hit putting the winning run on base for the Senators. Blackwood then struck out Garica and Sanchez and ended the game on a Taylor groundout to earn his fourth save of the season.
Carlton (4-3) earned the win allowing an unearned run on three hits with two walks and a strikeout in 2.1 innings.
Bonnell (2-6) took the loss allowing two runs, one earned, on one hit with a walk and a strikeout.
The SeaWolves will look for a series split on Sunday afternoon against the Senators at 1 p.m. RHP Matt Manning (11-4, 2.46 ERA) takes the mound for Erie against RHP Kyle McGowin (0-1, 3.05 ERA).