Erie reestablished their first-inning offense, thanks to Spencer Torkelson. Following a leadoff walk from Riley Greene, Torkelson lifted a ball over the wall in left-center field to give Erie the early lead.
Despite the quick start, Jack Perkins kept Erie from adding to their lead over six full innings. Erie only managed four hits against the Reading starter.
After Reading had tied the game, Erie worked quickly against Aneurys Zabala to push ahead again. Andre Lipcius drew a walk with one out, advanced to second base on a ground out, and to third base on a wild pitch. John Valente broke a brief hitless skid by singling to center field, scoring Lipcius.
Elvin Rodriguez logged his longest outing of the season for Erie, but couldn’t maintain the slim lead. After stranding three baserunners over just the first two innings, Daniel Brito opened the third inning with a triple before scoring on a sacrifice fly. Reading tied the game in the sixth inning after Josh Stephen doubled and came home on a single by McCarthy Tatum.
After the Tatum single, Billy Lescher was called from the Erie bullpen and retired all four batters he faced. Gerson Moreno followed with a scoreless pair of innings to earn the save.
Erie and Reading continue their six game set on Thursday. It’s another Thirsty Thursday at UPMC Park, and fans can enjoy Smith’s hot dogs, Pepsi fountain drinks, popcorn and select domestic draft beers for just $2 each, all presented by Bud Light. First pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.