Dante Bichette, Jr.’s, single up the middle in the 12th inning helped the Harrisburg Senators defeat the Bowie Baysox, 5-4, in front of 2,164 at Prince George’s Stadium in Game Two of the 2019 Western Division Championship Series.
Three straight hits to open the game led to a quick three-run opening inning, while one of four Bowie errors in the second inning expanded Harrisburg’s lead to 4-0. Andrew Lee and Sterling Sharp held the Baysox hitless through 5 2/3 innings, but the Bowie offense awoke in the bottom of the sixth inning.
With two outs, Ryan McKenna doubled off the wall in right field and advanced to third base on an Anderson Feliz single. One batter later, Carlos Perez demolished a three-run home run down the left field line for his first of the postseason after hitting a career-high 14 in the regular season.
The hosts struck in the eighth inning for the second straight game. Ryan Ripken took the first pitch from Greg Holland and tattooed a solo home run deep to right field, tying the game at four apiece.
Tyler Herb took a no-decision after allowing three earned runs on six hits in five innings. The bullpen trio of Brian Gonzalez, Francisco Jimenez and Steven Klimek combined to allowed one unearned run on five hits with seven strikeouts over the final seven innings.
The best-of-five series swings north to Central Pennsylvania, when staff aces Zac Lowther and Mario Sanchez square off in Game Three at 7:00 p.m. at FNB Field on City Island in Harrisburg.
