BOWIE, MD – The Bowie Baysox suffered a 6-3 loss against the Altoona Curve on Thursday night, despite a strong performance from the Baysox bullpen, after an early surge from the Altoona team.
Right-handed starter for Bowie, Ryan Long, only lasted 1.2 innings. He managed to retire the first two batters but then gave way to consecutive doubles from Mat Fraizer and Joe Perez, putting the Curve ahead 1-0. This marked the third consecutive night Altoona had taken the early lead.
Altoona furthered their momentum in the second inning when Andres Alvarez opened with a solo home run. After two walks and a single loaded the bases, Tsung-Che Cheng’s sacrifice fly doubled the Curve’s lead and signaled the end for Long, who ended with a loss record of 2-3, and had thrown 43 pitches, 31 of which came in that taxing second inning.
Long’s replacement, right-hander Kade Strowd, was welcomed with an opposite-field two-run triple from Frazier and a throwing error from Jackson Holliday that allowed Frazier to score from third. This expanded Altoona’s lead to 6-0. Strowd’s unearned run was the single imperfection in a night where the Baysox bullpen showed its mettle. Strowd pitched 3.1 innings, striking out six and allowing just one additional hit. Right-handers Keagan Gillies and Dan Hammer also provided scoreless innings, with Hammer making his successful Double-A debut.
While the Baysox’s pitching recovered, their batting was contained mainly by Altoona’s right-handed starter Aaron Shortridge. He threw six innings, conceding only two runs in the second inning on an RBI infield single from Greg Cullen and a sacrifice fly RBI from Maxwell Costes. Shortridge’s performance (W, 8-7) included five strikeouts and just seven hits. John Rhodes contributed a late solo home run in the ninth, but Bowie’s rally was never ignited. On a positive note for Bowie, Donta’ Williams collected three hits, including a double, marking his third three-hit game.
The defeat lowers the Baysox’s season record to 53-58. The teams will continue their six-game series on Friday, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Prince George’s Stadium.
This defeat serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of baseball, where an early lead can determine the outcome despite later efforts. While the Baysox bullpen’s recovery is noteworthy, Altoona’s early offensive pressure ultimately decided the game’s fate, showing the importance of each inning’s contribution to the final result.