HARRISBURG – The Portland Sea Dogs (21-31) split Wednesday night’s doubleheader with the Harrisburg Senators at Metro Bank Park Wednesday as they staged a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory in the first game and dropped the nightcap 5-2.

In the opener, the Sea Dogs trailed the Senators 2-1 entering the final frame, then Bryce Brentz and Zach Gentile provided the late-inning heroics. Brentz evened the score with a leadoff home run into deep centerfield, and Gentile singled home Derrik Gibson from second base for what proved to be the game-winning run.

Starter Billy Buckner earned an impressive complete-game victory as he went the distance after yielding two first-inning runs. He worked the last six scoreless innings of the game allowing only four more baserunners on two hits, a walk, and a hit batsman. Buckner has now earned a win in each of his last three starts, pushing his record to 4-3 on the season.

In the second game, the Sea Dogs raced out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Juan Carlos Linares singled to left field, scoring Jeremy Hazelbaker from second base.

But the Senators responded an inning later against Portland starter Stolmy Pimentel. Harrisburg sent nine men to the plate and scored five runs on six hits. It was all the offense the Senators would need for the game. Four relievers worked the game’s last four innings, holding the Sea Dogs to only one more run on a Linares home run.

The two teams complete the three-game series at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Portland’s Chris Balcom-Miller will face Harrisburg’s Paul Demny.