The Chesapeake Baysox were walked off by the Akron RubberDucks by a 3-2 final on Thursday night at 7 17 Credit Union Park.
Chesapeake (14-21) took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth after Thomas Sosa hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to give the Baysox the lead in the top half. Akron scored a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning off left-hander Eric Torres (L, 2-2).
The inning began with Christian Knapczyk getting hit by a pitch and advancing to second on a wild pitch. Knapczyk advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a bunt base hit from Guy Lipscomb to tie the game. Lipscomb was thrown out trying to advance to second, but Akron continued its charge. Alex Mooney doubled to left-center field with two outs and scored from second on a walk-off infield single from Nick Mitchell.
No runs were scored in the opening five innings. Chesapeake’s right-handed starter Juaron Watts-Brown struck out five through four-plus frames, allowing just one hit. The Baysox plated the game’s opening run against the RubberDucks bullpen after Aron Estrada led off the sixth with an opposite-field double, advancing to third on a sacrifice and crossing home on a two-out wild pitch. Estrada later legged out an infield single and walked to reach base three times on Thursday.
The Baysox bullpen held serve into the late innings. Right-hander Michael Caldon made his Double-A debut, contributing a pair of scoreless frames in relief. The Baysox bounced back in the top of the ninth, drawing three consecutive one-out walks, but Sosa’s sac fly generated the only run of the inning. RubberDucks right-hander Jack Carey (W, 1-0) allowed no further damage upon entering the game.
Chesapeake continues its six-game series with Akron on Friday night. Right-hander Evan Yates (1-1, 5.40 ERA) takes the ball for the Baysox against RubberDucks right-hander Khal Stephen (2-2, 3.82 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:17 p.m. from 7 17 Credit Union Park.
The next Baysox homestand begins on Tuesday, May 19, when Chesapeake opens a six-game set against the Somerset Patriots, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Southern Maryland fans from Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties continue to follow the Baysox closely as the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate. Many local families make the trip to Prince George’s Stadium for home games, while others watch road contests at neighborhood sports bars or gather for watch parties. The team’s performance remains a point of pride for the region, which has strong ties to Baltimore Orioles baseball through season-ticket groups, youth leagues and community events.
The Baysox are in the thick of the Eastern League season, and every series carries weight for fans hoping to see the next wave of Orioles talent develop. Local supporters often point to the short drive from the tri-county area to Bowie as an easy way to cheer on the affiliate in person.
