One of the most common outcomes of the season for the Bowie Baysox returned on Saturday night, as Bowie blew a late lead to the Akron RubberDucks and lost by one run, 4-3. It was the 29th one-run loss for the Baysox this season, the most in Minor League Baseball.
Bowie was already fighting an uphill battle as they dealt with Akron’s Tanner Bibee, but they landed the first blow in the second inning after a leadoff double by Ramon Rodriguez and an RBI single by Zach Watson. Bibee followed with three scoreless innings while Akron built a 2-1 lead, but after a leadoff walk in the sixth inning, Coby Mayo lined an RBI double to right field to tie the game, and Donta’ Williams hit a sacrifice fly to give Bowie the lead.
It was a brief Double-A debut for Bowie starter Jake Lyons, as he opened with two scoreless innings. The third inning saw Akron take the lead after Julian Esobedo singled, and Jose Tena crushed a go-ahead two-run home run.
Bowie turned to left-handers in relief, as Jake Prizina retired all nine batters he saw from the fourth to the sixth innings, and Easton Lucas followed with a perfect seventh inning.
In the eighth, Lucas (L, 3-1) allowed a leadoff double and hit a batter, before allowing a two-RBI double to Jhonkensy Noel, giving Akron the lead again.
Akron used only one reliever in the contest, as sidearm hurler Robert Broom (W, 5-2) fired three scoreless innings, only allowing one walk, and retiring the side on just five pitches in the ninth inning.
The loss denies Bowie the chance at a winning season, as they fall to 68-69 with only one game remaining this year. With an Erie SeaWolves win, the two remaining teams in the Southwest Division have identical 41-27 records in the second half. With one game remaining, and Erie in control of the tiebreaker, Bowie’s only path to the postseason would come from a SeaWolves loss and a Baysox win on Sunday.
Bowie concludes the regular season on Sunday at Canal Park, as they start the finale with Akron at 6:05 p.m. (Erie plays at 1:35pm)
