EL1 Richmond Flying Squirrels

Squirrels' Hearts Broken in Opener, 8-6

Published on July 15, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


RICHMOND, VA - The Richmond Flying Squirrels lost in deflating fashion, coughing up a ninth-inning lead and falling to the Bowie Baysox, 8-6, in front of a capacity crowd of 9,560 at The Diamond on Thursday night.

After Richmond had erased a 5-2 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Baysox ripped the Squirrels' hearts out with three runs in the ninth. Squirrels' closer Rafael Cova couldn't hold the lead, walking Carlos Rojas to start the inning. He got the next two outs, but Tyler Henson tied the game, 6-6, with a single into left field. Cova then walked Joel Guzman before being taken out in favor of Ronnie Ray. Ray encountered Joe Mahoney, and Mahoney lifted a game-winning two-run triple off the wall in right-center field. Cova (0-4) was charged with all three runs and the loss for Richmond.

Squirrels' righty Felix Romero held Bowie at bay through three innings, but the Baysox finally broke through against him in the fourth. Romero started the trouble when he walked Guzman with two outs. Mahoney followed with a two-out single and Brandon Waring put the Baysox on the board with single back up the middle.

Richmond answered quickly as Brandon Belt led off the bottom of the inning with a towering solo-home run to right field off of Bowie right-hander Steve Johnson. Belt's fifth blast with the Squirrels extended his personal hit-streak to nine games and tied the game, 1-1.

The Baysox reclaimed the lead and chased Romero with three runs in the sixth inning. Ryan Adams led off the inning with a single and came around for a 2-1 lead when Henson doubled behind him. Romero righted himself to retire the next two hitters, but Waring clubbed a two-run home run to left field to extend the advantage to 4-1.

Waring's homer was the last pitch thrown by Romero, who exited after 5 2/3 innings. He conceded four earned runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four.

Johnson departed after five innings. He allowed a lone run on four hits, walked one and struck out two.

Richmond tried to chip away with a run against Johnson's replacement, Eddie Gamboa, in the bottom of the sixth. Belt led off the frame with a triple off the wall in left field. Brad Boyer brought him in with a groundout to the shortstop and Richmond trailed, 4-2.

The Baysox added a run courtesy of three Richmond walks in the eighth inning. Left-hander Andy Sisco issued the final walk to force in a run to put Bowie ahead, 5-2.

The Squirrels roared back in the bottom of the inning as Nick Noonan led off against reliever Brandon Cooney with a single. Thomas Neal followed with a double to put two in scoring position for Belt. Belt delivered again, notching a two-run single up the middle to pull the Squirrels within a run. Boyer forced Belt, and Ryan Lormand doubled to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Cooney was lifted in favor of right-hander Pedro Beato, who entered to face Tyler La Torre. La Torre laced a two-run single to put Richmond ahead for the first time in the ballgame, 6-5.

Beato (4-0) righted himself to strike out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning for the win. Belt, who finished the night a double away from the cycle, struck out to end the ballgame.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 7:05 PM on Friday night at The Diamond. RHP David Mixon (9-5, 3.21) will make the start for Richmond against RHP Chorye Spoone (6-5, 3.73) for Bowie.

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Eastern League Stories from July 15, 2010


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