Similar to Wednesday afternoon’s game Erie struck first in the Bottom of the 2nd inning in last night’s Game three. Andrew Jenkins and EJ Exposito traded places on doubles that were separated by a sharp line out. Sens starter Riley Maddox would respond and retire seventeen of the next twenty batters that he faced before his evening was over after the home half of the 7th inning. Maddox would allow on the 1 run on 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 2 on 89 pitches. He earned the win in the outing, his first in AA. Maddox lowered his ERA to 4.50 down from 9.00 after his first appearance last weekend. Andrew Sears, who started for Erie, went 3 1/3 innings allowing 4 run (3 earned) on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3. Erie’s bullpen would also go onto allow 4 runs on 6 hits the rest of the way. Sandy Gaston and Jared Simpson, tonight’s Game 4 opener, pitched 1 2/3 innings in solid relief of Maddox. The pair only allowed 1 hit, walked 2 and struck out 4.

Branden Boissiere, playing his first series back with the Sens since his rehab assignment, got the scoring started for the Sens in the Top of 3rd inning driving in recently acquired Devin Ortiz. The next inning Ethan Petry would put the Sens on top with his 5th home run in AA, a line drive shot to right field. Kervin Pichardo would single in the next at bat and two batters later recently acquired Devin Ortiz would welcome himself to AA and the Sens on a bomb to left field to put the Sens up 4-1. Sens would pick up the action in the 6th inning when Johnathan Thomas smoked a line drive triple up the alley in right center, scoring TJ White from first. Thomas would score on a wild pitch in the next at bat. Kervin Pichardo, who homered in Wednesdays game, homered to almost an identical place to put the Sens up 7-1. Thomas would cap his big evening and the Sens scoring for the night with an RBI single scoring Devin Ortiz. Justice Bigbie and Andrew Jenkins got Erie back into the run column in the bottom of the 8th scoring two runs to pull within five. That’s all the further they would get. Sens reliever Sandy Gaston would allow a lead off single but would strike out three of the next four batters he faced to closed the door on the SeaWolves. Sens went on to win the game 8-3 and take a 3-0 series lead.

The Senators and SeaWolves will meet for Game five of six tomorrow night, Saturday, July 11th. The Senators will hand the ball to RHP Josh Randall who will make his first start of the series. Randall is 3-2 on the year. He last pitched against Erie in mid June when the two teams met at FNB Field in their last series. Randall earned the win in the start. He looks to bounce back from a rough outing last Sunday against Richmond. Erie will give the ball to RHP Hayden Minton who will be making just his third appearance with the SeaWolves. He will be facing the Senators for the first time. First pitch for tomorrow evening’s game is scheduled for 6:05 from UPMC Park.