SeaWolves Comeback Falls Short on Sunday

Erie dropped their third straight game on Sunday night at UPMC Park, losing an early lead and having a comeback effort fall short against the Reading Fightin Phils. Erie walked a season-high eight batters on the night, including the game-winning run in the ninth inning, and lost 6-5.

Riley Greene hit the reset button for Erie’s offense in the first inning with a solo home run to left field, his ninth of the season. Reading’s starter, Josh Hendrickson, managed five innings on the mound while only allowing four hits and two runs.

Erie got a brief lead from Kerry Carpenter, who clubbed his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to right field. After Reading had taken the lead, Spencer Torkelson joined in with his own solo home run in the sixth inning against Tyler Carr.

Another run came home for the SeaWolves in the seventh inning on a pair of free baserunners and a single by Dillon Dingler to cut Reading’s lead to one run.

Josh Lester rocked the house in the eighth inning with the fourth solo home run of the game for the SeaWolves, tying the game at five. Despite blowing the save on Lester’s home run, Austin Ross would earn the win for Reading.

Making his third start of the season, Joey Wentz opened strong for Erie on the mound, only allowing one run in the third inning, but unraveled in the fifth. Wentz walked the first two batters of the fifth inning, and an error loaded the bases. Reading collected two hits to score three runs and chase Wentz from the game. Reading scored four runs in the inning and lead 5-2.

Erie got scoreless outings from their bullpen through Yaya Chentouf, Ethan DeCaster, and Max Green to send the game to the ninth inning, but Gerson Moreno couldn’t locate the strike zone in the ninth, spoiling the comeback effort. Moreno allowed a base hit to open the ninth and walked three batters to give Reading the eventual game-winning run. Braden Zarbnisky logged the save for Reading with a scoreless ninth inning.

Erie turns their attention to a six game road series with the Somerset Patriots, the first time Erie will visit the new Yankees Double-A affiliate. The first pitch is scheduled on Tuesday is set for 7:05 p.m. Erie returns to UPMC Park on July 13 when Bowie visits for six games.