ERIE, PA – The Bowie Baysox’s attempt to extend their winning streak to six games fell short on Thursday night, losing to the Erie SeaWolves 12-10 in a thrilling game that witnessed a late comeback attempt by Bowie.
The Erie SeaWolves pounced early, scoring runs in six different innings and leading by nine runs at one point. Erie’s aggressive offense took an early lead against Bowie’s Brandon Young, marking the game’s tone.
Erie’s Chris Meyers and Corey Joyce quickly put their team ahead with a single and a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Young (L, 0-1) did manage to halt Erie with a scoreless second inning, but a third-inning fielder’s choice by Luis Santana added a run, forcing Young’s exit from the game.
Erie continued to dominate in the fourth inning, with Jace Jung and Meyers extending the lead to 6-0. After Bowie’s brief fight back to cut the lead, Erie’s Santana hit a leadoff home run in the fifth inning, followed by an RBI single from Julio Rodriguez.
Erie’s pitching remained strong, with Bryan Sammons (W, 1-1) carrying a shutout into the fifth inning until Bowie’s Jud Fabian hit a three-run home run. Sammons finished with seven strikeouts over five innings.
Bowie’s bullpen struggled against Erie, with Jung and Santana adding to Erie’s lead in the sixth inning, while Dan Hammer allowed the final Erie run in the seventh on a bases-loaded ground out.
With a nine-run deficit, Bowie began a spirited comeback in the eighth inning. Five runs came together through hits from Maxwell Costes, Max Wagner, and John Rhodes and a bases-loaded walk by Fabian. A double play halted the improbable comeback, and despite threatening in the ninth inning, Bowie’s attempts fell short with back-to-back strikeouts.
The loss brings Bowie to a season record of 58-59. They will attempt to rebound and start a new winning streak as they continue their six-game series with Erie on Friday at 6:35 p.m.
Thursday’s game highlighted Erie’s offensive prowess, with early scoring setting the stage for the eventual victory and Bowie’s tenacious but unsuccessful comeback attempt. Erie’s well-coordinated offensive strategy and solid pitching were crucial elements in snapping Bowie’s winning streak, capturing the excitement of a closely fought game.