Willems Homers Twice; Baysox Fall to RubberDucks on Wednesday Night
August 28, 2024 - Eastern League (EL)
Chesapeake Baysox News Release
AKRON, OH. - The Bowie Baysox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, fell 4-3 to the Akron RubberDucks, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, on Wednesday evening.
Bowie (25-28, 57-64), saw most of its production at the plate come from one of its newest roster additions on Wednesday. In just his second game at the Double-A level, Catcher Creed Willems notched his first two Double-A hits on a pair of solo homers for Bowie. Willems went deep to lead off the top of the second inning to open the scoring, before also mashing a solo shot to right field late on in the eighth inning. It was the first career multi-home run game as a professional for Willems, who was just promoted to the Baysox on Tuesday afternoon.
On the flip side, the Bowie pitching staff struggled with its command on Wednesday. The Baysox matched a season high with 10 walks issued. Right-handed starter Trace Bright was hurt by six walks on the evening. Despite allowing just one hit, Bright (L, 0-11) was charged for three runs and was only able to complete three and two-thirds innings.
Akron loaded the bases in the second, but Bright held them to just a single run on a sacrifice fly. He would then allow two more runners to reach in the fourth. Akron would take the lead on a wild pitch, before Bright was lifted from the contest. An inherited runner would come home to score on his tab off a bloop double into center field. Akron added on an additional run via another sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 4-1 RubberDucks.
Bowie was held to just one run by right-handed starter Tommy Mace (W, 8-5), who went five and two-thirds innings for Akron. However, the Baysox did lead a late charge. Ryan Higgins, who reached twice on Wednesday, singled and scored on a wild pitch for Bowie in the seventh, before Willems' second long ball of the night made it a one-run contest, but that's all the closer Bowie would get, as Akron's Bradley Hanner (S, 4) worked a clean tab in the ninth.
Wednesday evening's defeat puts the Baysox ten games behind the RubberDucks in the Eastern League Southwest division second half standings with 16 games remaining on the regular season schedule. Bowie and Akron resume their six-game series on Thursday, as the Baysox send right-hander Pat Reilly (0-0, 4.40 ERA) to the hill to counter RubberDucks left-hander Parker Messick (3-1, 2.15 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. ET from Canal Park in Akron.
The final Baysox homestand is scheduled for Tuesday, September 3 - Sunday, September 8 against the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.
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