The Chesapeake Baysox dropped a tightly contested Sunday afternoon game to the Erie SeaWolves by a final score of 4-3.
The Orioles Double-A affiliate fell to 11-15 on the season and suffered its fifth consecutive defeat. The Baysox return home Tuesday to begin a six-game homestand against the Altoona Curve at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.
The teams traded scoring chances early. Chesapeake loaded the bases in the second inning on two singles and a walk. With two outs, Alfredo Velásquez lined a single that plated two runs and gave the Baysox a 2-0 lead.
Erie answered in the bottom of the third. The SeaWolves loaded the bases on two infield hits and a walk. Justice Bigbie laced a double into the right-center gap to clear the bases and put Erie ahead 3-2. Bigbie drove in all four Erie runs on the day.
The double was the only major blemish on the line of Baysox right-hander Evan Yates. In his second start of the week, Yates worked five and one-third innings, allowing three hits and striking out four.
Frederick Bencosme tied the game in the top of the fourth with a solo home run to right field. It was Bencosme’s team-leading fifth homer and 20th RBI of the season. He has now homered in back-to-back games for the first time in his professional career.
The 3-3 tie held until the eighth. Right-hander Cohen Achen followed Yates with one and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief. Achen has posted a 0.96 ERA in six appearances with the Baysox this season.
In the bottom of the eighth, Bigbie struck again. After a walk and stolen base by Peyton Graham, Bigbie delivered a single into center field off Baysox right-hander Jeisson Cabrera to score the go-ahead run and make it 4-3. Cabrera took the loss.
A group of three Erie relievers, including Wandisson Charles (who earned the win) and closer Woo-Suk Go (who recorded the save), kept the Baysox off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
The Baysox will now host the Altoona Curve for six games starting Tuesday. The series offers fans in Southern Maryland and across the region a chance to see the Orioles’ top prospects in action at Prince George’s Stadium.
