Zac Lowther tossed a career-high 7.2 innings as the Baysox took down Akron, 2-0, Tuesday morning. The win evened the series at a game apiece, setting up a rubber game on Wednesday.
Lowther and Akron starter Jake Paulson both pitched shutout ball through four innings, but the Baysox broke through in the fifth. After a walk to Martin Cervenka to start the inning, Brett Cumberland singled to make it first and third with no outs. Preston Palmeiro broke the scoreless deadlock and grounded a RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Cervenka and give Bowie the lead. Later in the frame, Ryan McKenna drove in Cumberland with a line-drive single up the middle to make it 2-0.
Those two runs were all Lowther would need. The left-hander retired seven batters in a row between the sixth and eighth innings before exiting in the eighth after a soft two-out single. Lowther’s seven strikeouts on the day set a season-high, as he also became the first Baysox starter to work into the eighth inning this year.
Brian Gonzalez came in for Lowther and retired all four batters he faced, earning his first career save. Lowther’s win was his third of the year, breaking a tie for the most on the team.
The third and final game of the series in Akron is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. on Wednesday morning. LHP Alex Wells is set to start for Bowie against Ducks LHP Sam Hentges.
