SENATORS GAME RECAP

RHP Jordan Zimmermann got his first win at the Double-A level as the Harrisburg Senators trumped the Erie SeaWolves, 7-6, Sunday at Jerry Uht Park. RHP Zech Zinicola fired a scoreless 9th inning to notch his third save of the year and finish off a three-game sweep of the SeaWolves.

Zimmermann worked 6.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits, a walk and eight strikeouts.

The Senators bolted out of the gates with four runs in the 1st inning. Roger Bernadina led off the game with a wind-blown triple into the left-field corner and scored on a one-out single by Justin Maxwell. Luis Jimenez followed by slicing a towering two-run home run to left field to make it 3-0. After a groundout, Ofilio Castro singled and Andrew LeFave doubled over the center fielder’s head to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Harrisburg kept it rolling in the 2nd. Marco Yepez ripped a leadoff triple to right-center and scored when Bernadina singled, and it was 5-0.

The SeaWolves got on the board against Zimmermann in the bottom of the 3rd. Will Rhymes pounded a two-run double to left-center to cut the lead to 5-2. Wilkin Ramirez clubbed a leadoff home run in the 4th and the margin was down to 5-3.

The Senators got the runs back in the top of the 6th. Castro led off with a single and LeFave walked. After two straight batters were retired, Bernadina bounced an 0-2 pitch up the middle for a two-run single to make it 7-3.

The SeaWolves made it interesting among the raindrops with three runs in the bottom of the 8th. Beltran Perez allowed three straight hits, including a two-run double by Ramirez to cut it to 7-5. At that point, the umpires ordered the tarp onto the field. After a rain delay of about 50 minutes, Justin Justice banged an RBI double off the wall in right to make it 7-6. But RHP Josh Perrault struck out the next two batters to end the inning. In the 9th, Zinicola gave up a one-out single, but induced a game-ending double play.

Zimmermann improved to 1-1 on the season while Erie starter Jon Connolly fell to 0-2. Zinicola picked up his third save.

Harrisburg upped its record to 23-13. The SeaWolves were swept in their seven-game homestand against the Senators and Trenton Thunder to drop to 15-21.

The Senators have a day off on Monday before starting a six-game homestand Tuesday against the Reading Phillies. Washington Nationals 1B Dmitri Young is expected to join the team at Commerce Bank Park to rehab a sprained lower back. Game time Tuesday is set for a 6:05 first pitch.