A three-run sixth for Reading proved to be costly as the Bowie Baysox (31-34) dropped their season-high seventh straight with a 5-4 loss to the Fightin Phils (36-25) on Wednesday night at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie.
Six of the seven losses for Bowie during this stretch have been by two runs or less.
After the Baysox had taken the lead at 4-2 in the fifth, the Fightin Phils quickly responded with the afore-mentioned three-run sixth to take a 5-4 lead as Chace Numata and Angelo Mora each came through with RBI singles in the inning. A throwing error charged to Baysox C Chris O’Brien on Mora’s single allowed the go-ahead run to score.
RHP Lucas Long (2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) was tagged with the loss for the Baysox and falls to 5-2 on the year.
LHP Tom Windle (1.1 IP, BB, K) got the win for Reading to improve to 2-1. RHP Shane Watson (2.0 IP, 2 H, K) and RHP Victor Arano (1.0 IP) combined to close things out for the Fightin Phils. Arano notched his first save of the year.
Trailing 5-4, the Baysox had runners at first and second with one out in the eighth, but could not push a run across against Watson.
Bowie starter David Hess (n/d) allowed four runs on four hits while walking four and fanning two in 5.1 IP. The final run in the inning was unearned.
Reading jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first as Zachary Coppola led off with a single, advanced to second on a walk, took third on a flyout and stole home.
In his first at bat at Prince George’s Stadium, Adam Brett Walker’s two-run blast in the bottom of the second gave the Baysox a 2-1 lead. The home run was Walker’s first of the year.
Coppola started the third inning with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a single and scored whenAndrew Pullin grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice to tie things at two.
Bowie took the lead for the time being at 4-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth as O’Brien drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on an Erick Salcedo double and scored on Cedric Mullins’ sac fly. Salcedo scored later in the frame on a wild pitch charged to Reading starter Miguel Nunez.
Nunez (n/d) gave up the four runs on eight hits to go along with two walks and four strikeouts in 4.2 IP.
Mullins (2-4, RBI, SB), DJ Stewart (2-4, R) and Wilkerson (2-4) all had multi-hit games for the Baysox.
LHP Tim Berry (1.0 IP, 2 K) had a scoreless outing in relief for manager Gary Kendall’s squad.
The series wraps up on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. as LHP Tanner Scott (0-0, 1.50) will be on the bump for Bowie against Reading LHP Brandon Leibrandt (5-2, 3.56).
