BOWIE, Md. - Stout pitching and an Ademar Rifaela two-run home run lifted the Bowie Baysox to a 2-1 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in front of 4,398 at Prince George's Stadium Wednesday afternoon.The day started with a scoreless pitcher's duel through the first six and a half innings,
BOWIE, Md. - Stout pitching and an Ademar Rifaela two-run home run lifted the Bowie Baysox to a 2-1 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in front of 4,398 at Prince George's Stadium Wednesday afternoon.
The day started with a scoreless pitcher's duel through the first six and a half innings, but the Baysox (17-28) cracked the scoreboard in the seventh inning. Rylan Bannon led off with a single and scored one batter later on a two-run home to right field off the bat of Rifaela. The right fielder gave the hosts a 2-0 lead, leapfrogging Bannon for the team lead in both home runs (5) and RBI (19).
Patrick Mazeika's solo home run in the eighth inning halved the margin, but Tanner Chleborad retired the side to earn his first win of the season. The first reliever to appear in the game, the righty allowed the one run and hit, while striking out a pair in two innings.
Binghamton (25-16) used a leadoff double and a single to put the go-ahead runners on base against Bowie closer Tyler Erwin. The lefty got Alfredo Escalera to fly out to Rifaela in shallow right field for the first out, and then got a game-ending double play on the next pitch to earn his fifth save of the 2019 season.
Baysox starter Bruce Zimmermann turned in another quality performance in a no-decision on the mound. The lefty held the Rumble Ponies to six scattered hits across six scoreless innings, striking out seven batters. Wednesday marked the second time that Zimmermann has allowed no runs in a start--the first coming on May 10 in an 11-strikeout outing against Richmond in Maryland.
The Baysox enjoy an off day Thursday before heading back to UPMC Park for the final four-game series of the season against the Erie SeaWolves, Double-A Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. RHP Marcos Molina (2-4, 3.74) faces Erie for the second straight start (and fourth overall) after holding the Howlers to two earned runs over six innings during Bowie's extra-inning victory May 17.
