Jesmuel Valentin’s game-winning single in the 12th inning helped the Bowie Baysox snap their four-game losing streak with a 5-4 win over the Harrisburg Senators in front of 2,349 at Prince George’s Stadium Sunday afternoon.
Bowie (3-7) earned their second extra-inning victory in as many contests, as well as their first home win of 2019, to avoid a four-game series sweep. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Ademar Rifaela hit a one-out opposite-field home run down the left field line for his first long ball of the season to tie the game. After the visitors scored one run in the 10th inning, Ryan McKenna lifted a one-out sacrifice fly to center field to plate Valentin and re-tie the game.
Two innings later, the Baysox shortstop lined a one-out single down the left field line for his first RBI as part of the Baltimore organization. After joining the team on April 11, Valentin recorded his first two Baysox hits Sunday—the latter scoring Martin Cervenka for the team’s first walk-off win.
A first-inning fielder’s choice and a second-inning Adrian Sanchez single opened the scoring for the Senators (9-2), but Zac Lowther minimized the damage during his four innings. The lefty allowed a pair of runs on three hits with five walks and two strikeouts in a no-decision. The Senators loaded the bases in the first inning, but Lowther struck out Tyler Goeddel to end the inning. Similarly, the visitors put two runners in scoring position one inning later, but Lowther fanned Drew Ward to end the frame.
LHP Brian Gonzalez entered in relief of Lowther and retired 12 of the 13 batters faced in four innings. The one base runner to reach safely was Rhett Wiseman, who poked an opposite-field solo home run inside the left field foul pole in the sixth inning.
Zach Muckenhirn tossed three scoreless innings, while Tyler Erwin earned his second win of the season by orchestrating a 1-2-3 11th inning with a placed runner on second base. During the four-game series with Harrisburg, the Bowie bullpen allowed four earned runs in 22 1/3 relief innings, good for a 1.61 ERA.
Harrisburg starter Ben Braymer started the game by retiring 15 of the first 16 Baysox batters, but Bowie broke through in the sixth inning and cut the deficit to 3-2. After a walk, an infield single and a bunt single loaded the bases three batters into the inning, Austin Wynns lined a two-run double into the left field corner for his first hit of his rehab stint, scoring Valentin and Chris Clare in the process.
The Erie SeaWolves, Double-A Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, make their first 2019 trip to Maryland with a three-game series April 15-17. RHP Tyler Herb is slated to make his Prince George’s Stadium debut in the opener against Erie RHP Logan Shore.
Monday night is the first Mutt Monday of the season, presented by Veterinary Neurology & Imaging of the Chesapeake. All dogs are welcome to the ballpark every Monday night home game if they are leashed and their owners provide proper vaccination tags at the front gate.
