McVaney & Gerber Homer for Erie

The SeaWolves dropped the opener of a three-game series to the Reading Fightin Phils, 6-2, on Tuesday night at UPMC Park.
Reading jumped ahead in the second against SeaWolves starter Matt Crouse. Jiandido Tromp led off with a single and later scored on an Angelo Mora groundout for the 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Adrew Pullin led off with a single and with two outs, Osmel Aguila walked to keep the inning alive. Mora followed and belted a three-run home run, his third, to straight away center a for a 4-0 lead.
Erie cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth against Reading starter Tyler Viza. With one out, Jeff McVaney and Mike Gerber connected on back-to-back home runs cutting the Reading lead down to two runs at 4-2. The home run for McVaney was his third and for Gerber was his sixth. Gerber has homered four times in the past five games. It was the first time Erie hit back-to-back home runs since August 2, 2015 at New Britain by JaCoby Jones & Jeff McVaney. The last time Erie hit back-to-back home runs at UPMC Park came May 12, 2012 (Ben Guez and Corey Jones).
Reading added two more runs in the sixth. Harold Martinez singled with one out and was doubled home by Aguila making it 5-2. Mora followed with an RBI double, plating Aguila to make it 6-2. Mora finished the day with five RBI.
The SeaWolves would get no closer as the Reading bullpen held Erie scoreless over the final four innings of the game.
Viza (2-3) earned the win allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts in five innings of work.
Crouse (3-1) took the loss allowing six runs on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
The Erie bullpen tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in relief of Crouse.
The SeaWolves and Fightins meet in the middle game of the series on Wednesday morning at 11:05 a.m. at UPMC Park. Righty A.J. Ladwig (1-0, 1.50 ERA) takes the mound for Erie against RHP John Richy (0-0, 5.79 ERA).