(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (23-26) fell 9-1 to the Harrisburg Senators (26-23) at FirstEnergy Stadium on Friday night. The defeat evened the series out at two games apiece with a pair of contests remaining.
Reading opened up the scoring in the second inning, as the Phillies' no. 26 prospect Kehden Hettiger (5) smacked a solo home run to right field to give the Fightins a 1-0 lead. The R-Phils were 16-8 when scoring first entering this game.
Harrisburg struck back in the third inning, as Cayden Wallace (10) smacked a two-run home run to left-center field, scoring Sam Brown.
Both starters in Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Luke Russo held strong through their respective outings, and neither side scored again through the end of the sixth inning.
The Senators’ bats snapped awake in the seventh inning, tallying five runs on four extra base hits against Reading reliever Christian McGowan. Sam Brown (2) started Harrisburg’s scorching seventh inning with a solo home run to left field. Back-to-back doubles between Wallace and former R-Phil Leandro Pineda tacked on another run before Kervin Pichardo’s RBI single plated Pineda. This was Pichardo’s third hit of the evening. Maxwell Romero Jr. (5) provided the inning’s exclamation point, driving a two-run home run to right field to send Pichado jogging home.
In the ninth frame, Cortland Lawson singled home Jack Rogers before a Johnathon Thomas double plated Pichardo to conclude the scoring.
Ogasawara (2-1) got the victory for Harrisburg, spinning five innings of one run ball on four hits with four strikeouts.
Russo (5-3) took the loss, tossing five frames while allowing one earned run on five hits with a pair of walks and tied a season-high with eight strikeouts.
Hettiger’s home run served as the Fightins’ only extra base hit of the evening, while Pichardo, Romero Jr., Lawson, Thomas, Wallace and Pineda all logged multi-hit performances.
The Fightin Phils return to the field on Saturday against the Harrisburg Senators, Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, at 6:45 p.m. LHP Adam Seminaris is set to start for Reading, and he will go against RHP Josh Randall for Harrisburg. Pregame radio coverage is underway at 6:25 p.m. on the Reading Fightin Phils Radio Network. A video stream is available via MiLB TV or the Bally Live App.
The Fightin Phils remain home through Sunday against the Harrisburg Senators, Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Saturday showcases a Mega Blast Fireworks show, sponsored by Countryside, as well as an appearance from Joey Chestnut. The series ends on Sunday with an R-Phils 6-7 T-Shirt, thanks to Custom T-Shirts Ink.
Tickets to all games are available at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL, or in-person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.
The 2026 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.