Owens No-Hits Reading in Season Opener

Reading, PA- Henry Owens no-hit the Reading Fightin Phils in the Sea Dogs 2014 season opener as the Sea Dogs defeated Reading 5-0. The game was called after six innings due to rain. Mookie Betts lead the offensive attack for Portland going 4-for-4 with a home run.

Owens (1-0, 0.00) is credited with the complete game no-hitter firing six no-hit innings. He struck out nine and walked two batters. He retired the final 16 batters he faced. The only base runners Owens allowed was a pair of walks in the first inning. Owens did not allow a ball out of the infield. He tossed 86 pitches, 59 for strikes.

The 22 year-old Owens is ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox top pitching prospect and their #2 prospect overall. He was the Red Sox 2013 Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going a combined   11-6 with a 2.67 ERA between High-A Salem and Portland.

The no-hitter is the third in Sea Dogs franchise history and the first complete game no-hitter. It also marks the first no-hitter in Sea Dogs history as an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Brad Penny and Luis Arroyo combined for the first no-hitter in franchise history on August 8, 1999 against Trenton. The last no-hitter came on August 13, 2001 when Josh Beckett and two relievers combined to no-hit the Binghamton Mets.

Mookie Betts lead the Sea Dogs offense with a 4-for4 performance with a home run, three runs scored, and a RBI. Betts started the Sea Dogs season off with a bang hitting a lead-off home run in the first inning on a 3-2 pitch. Portland would take a 2-0 lead in the first when Carlos Rivero doubled and scored on a RBI single off the bat of Henry Ramos.

Sea Dogs catcher Blake Swihart celebrated his 22nd birthday with a 2-for-3 performance including a RBI triple in the third inning scoring Ramos to give Portland a 3-0 lead.

Betts singled in the fourth and scored on a Deven Marrero (2-for-4, 2 RBI) double as Portland extended the lead to 4-0 against the Phillies top pitching prospect Jesse Biddle. 

Betts and Marrero would strike again in the fifth inning, Betts singled and scored on a Marrero double to complete the Portland scoring as Portland went ahead 5-0.

Biddle (0-1) suffered the loss for Reading yielding four runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings. He struck out five and walked two batters.

Former Sea Dogs player Billy McMillon earned his first win as Sea Dogs manager and the 300th of his managerial career.

The Sea Dogs and Fightin Phils will battle again on Friday night at 7:05 PM from FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, PA. Right-hander Keith Couch (0-0, 0.00) will get the ball for the Sea Dogs. Couch led the Sea Dogs in wins with 11 in 2013. He will be opposed by Reading right-hander Severino Gonzalez (0-0, 0.00). Radio coverage begins at 6:15 PM on the U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network and www.seadogs.com. Coverage on MiLB.TV kicks-off at 7:00 PM.

The Sea Dogs home opener is set for Thursday, April 10th at 6:00 PM at Hadlock Field against the New Britain Rock Cats. Tickets for Opening Day and all 2014 Sea Dogs home games are available and can be ordered by calling the Sea Dogs ticket office at 207-879-9500 or order online at www.seadogs.com.