Squirrels close regular season with 3-1 win over SeaWolves
RICHMOND, Va. – Strong pitching and a pair of home runs rocketed the Richmond Flying Squirrels to a 3-1 win over the Erie SeaWolves in the regular-season finale Sunday afternoon at The Diamond. The Flying Squirrels also finished the season with the highest total and average attendance off all 30
RICHMOND, Va. – Strong pitching and a pair of home runs rocketed the Richmond Flying Squirrels to a 3-1 win over the Erie SeaWolves in the regular-season finale Sunday afternoon at The Diamond. The Flying Squirrels also finished the season with the highest total and average attendance off all 30 Double-A Minor League Baseball teams for the first time in franchise history.
The Flying Squirrels drew 406,560 fans in 2022, their highest in Double-A and the most for the team since 2015. They averaged 6,160 fans per game, which also led Double-A in 2022.
With today's crowd of 5,779, we have hosted 406,560 fans this season!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) September 18, 2022
For the first time in franchise history, the Flying Squirrels have ended the season with the highest total and average attendance in all of Double-A baseball.
Thank you, RVA, for being the best fans! pic.twitter.com/dd5z1dMaeI
Richmond (66-71, 26-42) finished its final regular-season homestand with a series split and has won seven of the last 12 games.
The SeaWolves (80-58, 41-28) opened the scoring at 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning with an RBI single from Daniel Cabrera. It was the only run that starter Matt Frisbee (Win, 6-10) allowed over five innings with eight strikeouts in his final start of the regular season.
Strong work today for @bigfriz34 💪
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) September 18, 2022
5.0 IP | 6 H | 1 R | 1 BB | 8 SO | 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cQw8GeW8uv
Frisbee has racked up 197 strikeouts over two seasons with the Flying Squirrels which ranks as the seventh-most career strikeouts in franchise history.
The Flying Squirrels tied the game, 1-1, in the fourth off a solo home run from Will Wilson. It was Wilson’s 12th homer of the season and his fourth over the last seven games.
Way back and GONE 💥 pic.twitter.com/n2Rr07UY7w
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) September 18, 2022
In the fifth, Tristan Peters struck a double against Adam Wolf (Loss, 5-4) and advanced to third off a hit from Shane Matheny. Brett Auerbach sent a chopper to third and Peters scored on the play off a head-first slide at the plate to give Richmond a 2-1 lead.
.@tristandpeters hustles home and we’ve got the lead pic.twitter.com/kr41FtrJvI
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) September 18, 2022
In the seventh inning, Jacob Heyward launched a solo home run to left field, extending the Richmond lead to 3-1. Heyward now has 11 home runs this season and 33 in his career with the Flying Squirrels, which his second-most in franchise history.
🫡 @jwardhuncho pic.twitter.com/mxybrrqa3v
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) September 18, 2022
Jake Dahlberg tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning with a strikeout and Chris Wright held Erie scoreless in the seventh with a strikeout and two flyouts. Melvin Adon allowed two hits in the eighth but stranded both runners to hold the score.
.@ChrisWright0909 breezes through a 1-2-3 seventh inning 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FAOesG6si1
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) September 18, 2022
Clay Helvey (Save, 2) allowed a double to start the ninth but collected a strikeout, groundout and a lineout to secure the Richmond win.
The Flying Squirrels will play the first game of the Eastern League Divisional Series on the road before coming home to The Diamond on Thursday. Game 3 will be hosted on Friday if necessary. Tickets for all potential playoff games in Richmond are on sale now at SquirrelsBaseball.com, by phone at 804-359-3866 or in person at the Flying Squirrels ticket office.