A three-run fifth proved to be the difference in the game as the Bowie Baysox (67-61) salvaged the series finale with a 7-3 win over the Reading Fightin Phils (66-62) on Thursday night at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie.
In the afore-mentioned three-run fifth that gave Bowie the lead, Cedric Mullins drew a one-out walk and Stevie Wilkerson cleared the bases with a two-run shot to right that tied the game at three before Austin Hays was hit by a pitch and scored on Garabez Rosa’s go-ahead RBI triple. The home run was Wilkerson’s sixth of the season with the Baysox and his first since July 13 at Altoona.
Fightin Phils starter Jacob Waguespack (1-2) gave up the four runs on seven hits to go along with two walks and six strikeouts in 6.0 IP.
Reading grabbed an early 2-0 lead with a pair in the second as a single and double put two men on beforeJiandido Tromp and Kyle Martin came through with RBI singles.
In the home half of the third, Adrian Marin reached with a one-out double, advanced to third on a single and scored on Wilkerson’s two-out bloop RBI single to bring the Baysox within a run at 2-1.
The Fightin Phils answered with a run in the fifth when Zack Coppola got on base with a one-out double, stole third and scored on Tromp’s RBI single to make it a 3-1 game in favor of the visitors. The run was charged to RHP Jesus Liranzo (3.0 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 2 BB, 4 K).
Liranzo earned the win for the Baysox to improve to 2-4 on the year. RHP Jason Garcia (1.0 IP, K) and LHP Paul Fry (2.0 IP, H, BB, K) combined to close things out for Bowie and Fry picked up his first save of the year.
Bowie added an insurance run to stretch the lead to 5-3 in the seventh as Rosa reached with an infield single, advanced to third on a single from DJ Stewart and scored on Audry Perez’s RBI single.
Hays’ two-run shot off of LHP Garrett Cleavinger (1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, K) in the home half of the eighth extended the Baysox lead to 7-3. The home run was Hays’ 15th of the year with Bowie.
Baysox starter Tanner Scott (n/d) gave up two runs on five hits while fanning a pair in three innings of work.
Marin (2-4, 2B, R), Rosa (2-5, 3B, RBI, R), Stewart (2-4, 2B) and Wilkerson (3-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) all had multi-hit games for manager Gary Kendall’s squad.
The Baysox head to Altoona to open a crucial four-game set with the Curve on Thursday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. with RHP Lucas Long (9-5, 2.77) on the mound for Bowie against Altoona RHP Casey Sadler (1-3, 4.58).
