Gausman with two scoreless to start his night at Bowie (leaves after 4 2/3)

BOWIE, Md. - Throwing a steady diet of upper 90s fastballs, Kevin Gausman has pitched two scoreless innings tonight here at Bowie, and the Baysox have a 1-0 lead after the second frame. The game was scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m., but began 55 minutes late due to a rain delay. After seeing several pitches register at 97 mph on the stadium radar gun, one pitch was clocked at 100 mph during the top of the second. Whether is a true reading or not, I'm not sure, but I am sure I saw triple digits. Gausman pitched around a two-out walk during a shutout first inning. Gausman walking a batter is news because he entered this start with just one walk all year, compared to 32 strikeouts over 35 2/3. But after falling behind Erie leadoff batter Eugenio Saurez 3-1 on the count, he finally got him on a pop out on a nine-pitch at-bat. After a line out and a walk on five pitches, he got Eastern League homer leader Tim Collins on a flyout to end the first. In the second he went groundout, strikeout, strikeout on just 10 pitches with seven strikes. Gausman is 1-4 with a 3.53 ERA on the year, but has pitched to an ERA of just 1.83, allowing four earned runs over 19 2/3 in his past three starts. Bowie took a 1-0 lead in the last of the first when Xavier Avery led off with a single, reached second on an error and third on a groundout and scored on a Caleb Joseph single to right for his 27th RBI of the season. Erie ties it: Gausman labored some during a 26-pitch third inning as Erie used two singles and a wild pitch to tie this game, 1-1. With runners on first and third and one out, Hernan Perez struck out swinging at a pitch low and away that went to the backstop as the Sea Wolves tied it. Gausman through 3 innings: 2 hits, 1 R-ER, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts. He is at 55 pitches. Gausman now out: Gausman left tonight's game at 96 pitches after 4 2/3 innings. He pitched out of a two-on, no-out jam in the fourth, issued a walk and double to start the top of the fifth and then got a flyout and strikeout. With his pitch count at 96, manager Gary Kendall went to Clayton Schrader, who came on to get a strikeout to end the inning. It was a night where Gausman pitched through on-and-off rain and didn't have sharp command, but he still gave up just one run. He battled, and Erie went 0-for-7 tonight against him with runners in scoring position. His final line: 4 2/3 IP, 3 hits, 1 R-ER, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts. He threw 96 pitches, 63 strikes. This was his second shortest outing of the year, and he will not get a decision as the game remains tied, 1-1. One final note on Gausman tonight. While the stadium scoreboard flashed 100 on at least two of his pitches, one scout said he topped out at 98 on his radar gun. So he showed plenty of velocity again tonight, but he didn't quite get triple digits. It's a final: Erie used a leadoff walk and a pair of singles off Tom Boleska in the ninth to post a 2-1 win tonight over Bowie. The Baysox fall to 14-19 and have lost for the 12th time in their past 16 games. They host Erie here Sunday at 2:05 p.m. as Zach Clark will make his first start throwing a knuckleball in that contest.