Hays' Slam Lifts Baysox to Doubleheader Sweep

BOWIE, Md.- The Bowie Baysox (57-50) swept a doubleheader from the Akron RubberDucks (51-54) on Sunday afternoon at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie.

The Baysox took game one by a 5-2 score and rallied for a 5-3 victory in the nightcap behind Austin Hays' go-ahead grand slam in the fifth.
Bowie has now matched their high-water mark for the season at 7 games above .500.
This marks the first doubleheader sweep for the Baysox since taking a pair from Akron on June 5, 2016.
The Baysox will have an off day Monday before opening a three-game set with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Tuesday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. First pitch of the series opener is set for 7:05 p.m. with RHP Lucas Long (6-4, 2.72) on the mound for Bowie against a starter yet to determined for New Hampshire.
Game One
The Bowie Baysox held on for a 5-2 win over the Akron RubberDucks in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday.
Trailing 5-2, Akron brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but RHP Scott McGough (0.1 IP, K) fanned Yu Chang to end the game.
The RubberDucks grabbed an early 1-0 lead with a run in the first as three straight singles started the game before Baysox starter John Means issued a bases-loaded walk to Mike Papi with two outs in the frame.
Means (8-7) allowed just the one run on five hits while walking three and fanning seven in 5.2 IP.
Bowie quickly responded with Ryan Flaherty's two-run shot in the home half of the frame to take a 2-1 lead.
In the home half of the fourth, Hays led off with a triple and scored on Anthony Santander's two-run blast off of Akron starter Matt Esparza to stretch the lead to 4-1. The home run was Santander's first of the year.
Garabez Rosa reached with a one-out double in the sixth and scored on Santander's RBI single to make it a 5-1 game in favor of the Baysox.
Esparza (5-3) gave up the five runs on eight hits to go along with a walk and three strikeouts in 5.1 IP.
A walk and a pair of singles loaded the bases for Akron with nobody out in the seventh and a run scored when Francisco Mejía grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to make it a 5-2 game. The run was charged to Baysox LHP Tim Berry (1.0 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 2 BB).
Hays (2-3, 3B, R), Cedric Mullins (2-3, 2B, R) and Santander (2-3, HR, 3 RBI, R) had multi-hit games for manager Gary Kendall's squad.
Game Two
Hays' go-ahead grand slam in the fifth lifted the Bowie Baysox to a 5-3 win over the Akron RubberDucks in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Sunday.
A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out for Bowie before Hays cleared the bases with his 10^th home run in just 32 games with the Baysox.
The grand slam was the second of the year for Bowie after Erick Salcedo hit one on May 18 at Harrisburg.
Aderlin Rodriguez plated Rosa with a sac fly later in the inning to extend the lead for the Baysox to 5-3.
RubberDucks starter Shane Bieber (0-1) surrendered the five runs on 10 hits to go along with a walk and three strikeouts in 4.1 IP.
RHP Brandon Barker (7-4) earned the win for Bowie after allowing two hits while walking one and fanning three in 4.1 shutout innings. RHP Scott McGough (1.0 IP, H, BB, K) worked his way out of a two on, nobody out jam in the seventh to notch his seventh save of the year.
Eric Haase drew a two-out walk in the first, stole second and scored on Bobby Bradley's RBI double to give Akron an early 1-0 lead.
Five straight two-out walks in the second led to a pair of runs and made it a 3-0 game in favor of the visitors for the time being.
Baysox starter Jesus Liranzo (n/d) gave up the three runs on one hit while walking six and fanning three in 1.2 IP.
Audry Pérez (2-3, 2B, R), Rosa (2-3, R) and Santander (2-3, 2B) had multi-hit games for the Baysox.
Rosa's single in the fourth extended his hitting streak to 12 games.