ERIE, Pa. – The Richmond Flying Squirrels split a doubleheader with the Erie SeaWolves on Sunday afternoon at UPMC Park, falling in the first game, 6-5, before a 2-0 shutout win the the second game.
The Flying Squirrels (28-10) split the road series against the SeaWolves (20-19) and notched their fourth shutout victory of the year in Game 2.
Game 1
The Flying Squirrels launched a season-high four home runs, but fell, 6-5, in Game 1 of the doubleheader against the SeaWolves.
Richmond rocketed to a 2-0 lead on back-to-back solo home runs in the first inning. With two outs, Parks Harber blasted a solo homer and Charlie Szykowny followed with a solo home run in the next at-bat.
John Peck responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the first to move the score to 2-1.
Jonah Cox led off the third inning with a solo home run and Harber pushed the Richmond lead to 4-1 on his second solo home run of the day.
Harber finished the series hitting .308 (8-for-26) with four home runs, one double and 10 RBIs over six games.
The SeaWolves closed it to a one-run game in the bottom of the third when Brett Callahan launched a two-run homer to center field.
Erie snagged a 6-4 lead with a three-run fourth inning. An RBI double, RBI groundout and a Richmond fielding error plated the three SeaWolves runs against Richmond starter Greg Farone (Loss, 0-4).
Maui Ahuna started the sixth with a triple and scored on an Adrian Sugastey sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 6-5.
Scott Bandura worked a leadoff walk to start the seventh and advanced to third on a Cox base hit. Bandura was tagged out at home plate trying to score the tying run on a soft grounder back to the mound. Moises Rodriguez (Save, 1) worked back-to-back flyouts to secure the Erie win.
Erie starter Carlos Pena allowed four runs, seven hits and four home runs over two innings. Dariel Fregio (Win, 3-1) set down nine of the 10 batters faced in his relief appearance.
Game 2
Three Flying Squirrels pitchers combined for a 2-0 shutout win in Game 2 to split the twin bill.
Richmond starter Joe Whitman (Win, 5-1) held the SeaWolves scoreless through five innings, allowing only two baserunners and struck out five.
Whitman has not allowed a run through three May starts and extended his scoreless streak to 16.2 consecutive innings, dating back to April 30.
Jack Choate pitched a scoreless sixth, stranding two baserunners. Mitch White (Save, 4) set down the Erie side in the seventh with a strikeout, groundout and a popout to lock in the victory.
Diego Velasquez walked to lead off the fifth inning and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Scott Bandura punched a ground ball to left field, scoring Velasquez and moved the Flying Squirrels to a 1-0 lead.
In the seventh inning, Maui Ahuna worked a leadoff walk and later scored on an RBI single by Ty Hanchey, extending the Richmond lead to 2-0.
Hanchey went 5-for-9 over his first three Double-A games in the series with three runs, two doubles and two RBIs.
The Flying Squirrels return to CarMax Park from May 19- 24 to face the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets. RHP Trystan Vrieling (1-0, 3,38) will start the series opener for Richmond on Tuesday with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m.
Tickets are available online at SquirrelsBaseball.com/Tickets, by phone at 804-359-FUNN (3866) or in person at the CarMax Park ticket office.