BOWIE, Md. - T.J. Nichting's two-run inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the eighth inning helped the Bowie Baysox come from behind and defeat the Hartford Yard Goats, 4-3, in front of 2,316 at Prince George's Stadium Wednesday night.Hartford (3-5) used RBI hits from Alan Trejo and Tyler Nevin
BOWIE, Md. - T.J. Nichting's two-run inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the eighth inning helped the Bowie Baysox come from behind and defeat the Hartford Yard Goats, 4-3, in front of 2,316 at Prince George's Stadium Wednesday night.
Hartford (3-5) used RBI hits from Alan Trejo and Tyler Nevin to spark a two-out rally and take a 3-0 lead during their first at-bats. The Baysox responded immediately, scoring a run in their first at-bats. A pair of singles (with a fielding error) put runners on the corners for Jesse Valentin, who scored Ryan McKenna with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Valentin drove in his second run of the night in the sixth inning, helping Bowie (6-2) whittle away at the deficit. A sharp two-out single to left field plated Mason McCoy, who singled and stole second base to get into scoring position.
Despite the 3-run first inning, Baysox starter Alex Wells completed at least seven innings for the fifth time in 2019. The lefty allowed two earned runs on three hits, and the Yard Goats mustered just three base runners in the final 21 plate appearances (6 1/3 innings) against Wells. Dillon Tate tossed two scoreless innings to earn his first win of the year.
The drama unfolded in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. Rylan Bannon poked an opposite-field single to right field to keep the frame alive for Nichting.
On a 1-0 count from Hartford reliever Justin Lawrence, the No. 6 hitter in the lineup sent a deep fly ball to center field. Manny Melendez crashed into the wall, allowing Nichting to record his fourth home run of the season in dramatic fashion and give the hosts their first lead of the night.
The homestand continues Thursday night, when the Akron RubberDucks return to Bowie for a four-game weekend series. Game one starts at 7:05 p.m., when RHP Dean Kremer (2-4, 4.28) looks for his second straight win against Akron RHP Jake Paulson (5-4, 3.84).
Thursday is also R&B Night at the stadium, with a special appearance from Grammy-nominated artist Ginuwine. The Washington, D.C., native will meet and greet fans on the concourse before and during the game, with a special VIP meet-and-greet session taking place in the suite level (special ticket required).
