BOWIE, Md. — The Chesapeake Baysox closed their series against the Richmond Flying Squirrels with a 5-1 loss Aug. 25 at Prince George’s Stadium, yielding four runs in the sixth and seventh innings after taking an early lead on a solo home run from outfielder Tavian Josenberger. The defeat dropped the Baysox to 50-68 overall and fifth in the Eastern League’s Southwest Division, while Richmond improved to 46-71 and sixth in the same division.
Josenberger provided the Baysox’s lone run in the bottom of the fifth, sending a fly ball over the right-field wall for his fourth homer of the season off Richmond reliever Shane Rademacher. The Baysox had built limited pressure earlier, with catcher Austin Anderson doubling in the fourth for his first extra-base hit of the year, but Richmond starter Hayden Choate and the bullpen limited Chesapeake to three hits total. Choate pitched three innings, allowing two hits and striking out three, while Rademacher earned the win with three innings of one-run ball, one hit and one strikeout.
Richmond tied the game in the top of the sixth when third baseman Sabin Ceballos doubled to left, scoring second baseman Dayson Croes and advancing first baseman Victor Bericoto to third off Baysox reliever Austin Rustad. The Flying Squirrels surged ahead in the seventh, as Croes singled to left to plate center fielder Bo Davidson, followed by Bericoto’s three-run homer to left-center—his 11th of the year—off starter Zane Lloyd, who took the loss after allowing four runs in two-thirds of an inning. Bericoto finished 5-for-5 with three RBIs, while Ceballos went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two doubles. Croes added three hits and an RBI for Richmond.
Baysox starter Mitchell Forret held Richmond to three hits over four innings in his Double-A debut, striking out five without allowing a run. Relievers Rustad, Lloyd, Carter Baumler and Tyson Neighbors combined for the remaining frames, with Baumler and Neighbors each tossing scoreless innings. The Baysox stranded six runners and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, while Richmond capitalized on 5-for-14 in similar situations.
Lloyd, a 24-year-old right-hander drafted by Baltimore in 2023, saw his ERA rise to 4.14 after the outing, having won seven games earlier in the season. Josenberger, a 2023 third-round pick from Arkansas, has hit .192 with four homers in limited action. For Richmond, Rademacher, 25, earned his first win since joining from Single-A, posting a 6.05 ERA. The Baysox bullpen, including Baumler—a 2020 second-rounder recovering from Tommy John surgery—showed promise with scoreless relief.
The series split followed Richmond’s 6-0 shutout losses to the Baysox Wednesday and Thursday, where Chesapeake pitchers like Domingo German combined for back-to-back blanks. Richmond rebounded with a shutout win Tuesday before the finale. The Baysox next face Erie on the road starting Aug. 26, while Richmond hosts Altoona. Minor League Baseball’s 2025 season emphasizes player development, with the Eastern League serving as a key step for prospects aiming for Baltimore or San Francisco.
This game highlighted pitching depth and timely hitting in Double-A, where averages hover around .240 league-wide. As the season winds down, the Baysox aim for a strong finish to build momentum for 2026.
