Wilmer Flores helps lead Erie over the Bowie Baysox

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 7, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (box)

Nivaldo Rodriguez was rocked for six runs as the Mud Hens went down to defeat on Thursday.

Rodriguez allowed 11 hits in just 3 ²⁄₃ innings of work. The RailRiders scored two in the second, and then came back for four in the fourth inning to knock him from the game. The Hens got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when shortstop Ryan Kreidler hit his sixth home run. Singles from Daz Cameron and Brendon Davis followed, but the Mud Hens couldn’t capitalize. In the seventh, Jamie Westbrook doubled with one out and scored on a John Valente single. That was all the Hens could manage as the lineup struck out a whopping 17 times on the night.

Kreidler: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, SO

Westbrook: 2-4, R, 2 2B

Rodriguez (L, 3-4): 3.2 IP, 6 ER, 11 H, 0 BB, 5 SO

Coming Up Next: RHP Garrett Hill (1-2, 5.40 ERA) takes on RHP Ryan Weber (2-2, 2.95 ERA) on Friday night as the Hens look to extend their 2-1 series lead.

Erie SeaWolves 3, Bowie Baysox 2 (box)

Another strong start for Wilmer Flores powered the SeaWolves to a victory over Bowie in Erie on Thursday. Flores tossed five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts to no walks.

Flores allowed a single and a double in the top of the first that led to the only run he’d allow, but he nails the rest of the way, allowing just two more hits. Andre Lipcius tied things up in the bottom half with a solo shot to center field for his seventh of the season. In the bottom of the fifth, Erie took over when catcher Chris Rabago tripled in Eric De La Rosa and then scored on a Gage Workman single. Adam Wolf allowed a run in relief, but ultimately Brendan White picked up his sixth save despite a single and a walk in the bottom of the ninth.

Rabago: 2-3, R, RBI, 3B, 2B

Lipcius: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, SO

Carpenter: 1-4, 2B

Flores (W, 3-1): 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 SO

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves’ strong rotation doesn’t let up despite three straight wins over Bowie. They’ll send RHP Reese Olson (4-3, 3.24 ERA) against LHP Drew Rom (2-1, 4.26 ERA) on Friday.

West Michigan 3, Cedar Rapids Kernels 2 (box)

Brent Hurter was solid in his start for the Whitecaps, and after a slow start, the offense came back to win this one in the ninth.

Hurter allowed a pair of runs in five innings of work. He walked one and struck out five, giving up five hits. The Kernels popped him for two runs in the fourth, while his teammates didn’t score until the seventh.

Ben Malgeri got things started with a one out double and Jose King walked. The Kernels went to the bullpen, but it didn’t do much good as Bobby Milacki came in and walked Daniel Cabrera. And error on an Eliezer Alfonzo ground ball scored Malgeri, but that was all they managed until the ninth. Finally, with their backs against the wall in the top of the ninth, Eliezer Alfonzo singled and Jake Holton followed with a double. Bryant Packard came through with a two-run single, and the Whitecaps had the lead. Right-hander Elvis Alvarado shut the door in both the eighth and the ninth, earning the victory.

Coming Up Next: Whitecaps’ RHP Carlos Guzman (3-5, 5.74 ERA) will look to even the series to two games apiece as he takes on LHP Cade Povich (5-4, 3.38 ERA) on Friday night.

Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 6, Lakeland Flying Tigers 4 (F/10)(box)

The Flying Tigers mounted a late comeback in this one, but eventually lost in 10 innings on Thursday.

Nick Davila gave Lakeland four innings of two-run ball to start things off, striking out four and walking one. In the fourth, Roberto Campos tripled to center and scored on a wild pitch to cut the Mussels lead in half. Campos was apparently banged up a bit on the play at the plate, and was replaced by Austin Schultz. Unfortunately, reliever Michael Bienlien allowed two runs in the top of the eighth as Fort Myers extended their lead to 4-1.

The offense fought back in the bottom half, scoring three of their own to tie things up. Alvaro Gonzalez led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and advanced to third on an Esney Chacon single. Fort Myers went back to the bullpen, and new reliever Malick Barrington popped up Izaac Pacheco. He had less luck against Cristian Santana, who singled in Gonzalez. Austin Schultz followed with a double to score Chacon, and Justice Bigbie then reached on an error as Santana roared home with the game-tying run. Unfortunately Jose De La Cruz and Daneurys De La Cruz both struck out to end the threat.

The Flying Tigers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Austin Schultz grounded out to end the inning. Reliever Jack Anderson allowed two runs in the top of the tenth, and that was all she wrote as the Flying Tigers couldn’t match them in the bottom half of the inning.

Chacon: 2-4, R, 2B, SO

Santana: 1-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, SO

Davila: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 4 SO

Coming Up Next: The loss puts Lakeland down 1-2 in the six-game series. No starters are announced for Friday night at 6:30 p.m. EDT.