Thayron Liranzo sent the ball soaring toward left-center field and deep into the Richmond night, a sixth-inning moonshot that wiped away five quiet innings, erased a three-run deficit and launched the Erie SeaWolves into the Eastern League Championship Series.
Liranzo’s three-run homer pulled Erie even, and Chris Meyers followed with a double off the left-field wall before scoring the go-ahead run in a four-run inning. The SeaWolves added another run in the seventh and held on for a 5-3 win over the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Thursday at CarMax Park, securing their fifth consecutive trip to the league championship series.
Erie had managed one hit through five innings and trailed 3-0 after Kaeden Kent punished a Kenny Serwa fastball in the fourth. Kent drove it over the right-field wall with two outs, bringing home Gavin Kilen and Lisbel Diaz for all three Richmond runs.
Manager Tony Cappicelli had discussed the possibility of playing from behind before the game.
“But, you know, we’ve shown the ability to battle back, even if we get down.”
— Tony Cappicelli, Erie SeaWolves Manager
That ability surfaced all at once in the sixth.
Seth Stephenson opened the inning with a ground-ball single and reached second on third baseman Dayson Croes’ throwing error. After Peyton Graham struck out, Zyhir Hope walked, bringing Liranzo to the plate as the tying run.
Liranzo lifted Jacob Bresnahan’s pitch high toward left-center. Jack Payton retreated, but the ball kept carrying well beyond him and into the night. Liranzo’s first postseason homer tied the game 3-3 and brought the Erie dugout to life.
Meyers kept the pressure on immediately, sending a fly ball toward the wall in left. Payton reached for it but could not make the catch, and Meyers pulled into second with a double. He eventually scored the go-ahead run as Erie extended the inning with two walks against Bresnahan and reliever Marques Johnson.
The rally fit the collective quality Cappicelli had identified as one of the defining features of his club.
“But that’s the best part of this, is watching the guys, you know, back one another up and support one another, cheer for one another.”
— Tony Cappicelli, Erie SeaWolves Manager
Liranzo finished 2-for-3 with the homer and a walk, producing the swing that changed the game after Richmond pitching had controlled the first five innings.
Stephenson helped manufacture some breathing room in the seventh. He drew a leadoff walk, advanced on Graham’s groundout and scored on Hope’s sacrifice fly to center, sliding home ahead of Trevor Cohen’s throw for a 5-3 lead. Stephenson finished 1-for-1 with two walks, two runs and a stolen base.
That was enough support for Serwa, whose knuckleball presented its customary challenge for both the opponent and its owner. He allowed four hits over seven innings, struck out four and walked one, with Kent’s homer accounting for all three earned runs.
Cappicelli had outlined the formula before Serwa took the mound.
“They’re going to put balls in play, but again, he’s been getting a ton of ground balls.”
— Tony Cappicelli, Erie SeaWolves Manager
The ground ball that mattered most came at the end of Serwa’s night. Diaz opened the Richmond seventh with a bunt single, and Kent replaced him at first on a force play. Jack Payton then bounced a ball to third baseman Izaac Pacheco, who started a double play through E.J. Exposito and Andrew Jenkins. Serwa roared as he left the field, his final threat extinguished.
Tanner Kohlhepp worked around a walk in a scoreless eighth for the hold. Moises Rodriguez navigated an error and a walk in the ninth, then handled Zander Darby’s game-ending grounder himself to earn the save.
Erie finished with only five hits. One of them, soaring into the darkness off Liranzo’s bat, was enough to turn a dormant night into another championship-series trip.