Cadyn Grenier homered on the second pitch of the game, but Bowie surrendered the lead in the bottom of the first and Akron never looked back as the RubberDucks defeated the Baysox for the fourth straight time.
Robert Neustrom extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the first, but then Bowie’s offense went cold. Between the second and seventh innings, Akron starter and major league rehabber Zach Plesac combined with reliever Juan Hillman to retire 16 straight Baysox hitters.
The Baysox tried to mount a late rally, as Chris Hudgins homered in the eighth to make it 4-2 Akron. The RubberDucks responded for a run in the home half of the eighth, and Bowie saw their first two batters of the ninth reach against Juan Mota. Patrick Dorrian walked, and Neustrom singled to put runners on the corners. Then, Toby Welk hit into a double play to score Dorrian, but with two outs in the inning, the Baysox went quietly to end the game.
On the mound for Bowie, Grayson Rodriguez settled in after a shaky start. He allowed two runs in the first inning, neither of which were earned, and conceded a home run in the second. Those runs were enough to saddle him with his first loss in a Bowie uniform.
Looking to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday, Bowie will send left-hander Cameron Bishop to the mound. Bishop is 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA and currently has a 24.1 inning scoreless streak, dating back to the month of May.
The Baysox return home for a six-game series against the Richmond Flying Squirrels beginning Tuesday, July 6 through Sunday, July 11.
Order your Baysox tickets online or call 301-464-4865 to purchase over the phone. The 2021 season is presented by Money One Federal Credit Union.
