SeaWolves Control Destiny with 5-1 Win at Richmond

The Erie SeaWolves took down the Richmond Flying Squirrels 5-1 in a must-win game on Saturday night at The Diamond, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The win, coupled with a Bowie loss at Akron means the SeaWolves will make the playoffs for the first time since 2013 with a victory on Sunday afternoon.

The SeaWolves took the lead in the second against Richmond starter Keaton Wynn. Michael De La Cruz and Josh Crouch started the inning with back-to-back singles. Danny Serretti singled home De La Cruz with one out for 1-0 Erie lead.

Erie added to the lead in the fifth. With a runner on third and two outs, Andrew Navigato clubbed a two-run home run for a 3-0 lead. It was the 18th home run for Navigato who has gone yard three times in the Richmond series.

The ‘Wolves added two more runs in the seventh off of reliever Evan Gates. Serretti led off the inning with his third hit of the game and stole second. He moved to third on a Daniel Cabrera groundout and scored on a Dane Myers sacrifice fly. Navigato and Parker Meadows followed with back-to-back walks, extending the frame for Quincy Nieporte. Nieporte singled home Navigato making it 5-0.

Richmond’s lone run came in the last of the eighth when Carter Aldrete homered off of reliever Andrew Magno.

Erie starter Wilmer Flores (6-4) was brilliant in his final regular season start to earn the win. Flores held Richmond without a hit for the first five innings and the lone hit e allowed was a leadoff single to Ricardo Genoves in the sixth. He finished the night allowing a single with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Wynn (2-3) took the loss allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts in five innings.