With their season and playoff lives on the line, the Senators will turn to Carson Teel on Saturday afternoon. The southpaw, who was recently named Carolina League Player of the Month for August, will make his Double-A debut in the must-win situation.

“I’ve never seen him,” manager Matt LeCroy said. “All I’ve heard is he’s a competitor, and he’ll be the right guy for this spot.”

The Senators are in this predicament thanks to a 7-5 loss to the Baysox on Friday night at FNB Field.

In Harrisburg’s first playoff game on City Island since 2013, Bowie wasted little time seizing control of the pivotal Game Three. Leadoff hitter Cedric Mullins bunted to get on, and then Anderson Feliz launched a Mario Sanchez offering into the seats underneath the scoreboard.

Sanchez, winner of 10 games for the Senators this season, worked behind batters as he struggled with his command. Feliz and the rest of the Baysox lineup made him pay not only in the first inning but again in the second as well. The second baseman launched another homer, this time a three-run bomb, to stake Bowie to a 5-0 lead the Senators would never recoup.

“Tough night for Sanchie,” LeCroy said. “He’s been good all year. He couldn’t make an adjustment cutting the ball. A lot of balls were up in the zone. I just wasn’t expecting that as good as he’s been.”

Harrisburg made it compelling in the bottom of the eighth inning when David Masters drove in Ian Sagdal after the third baseman walked and designated hitter Jakson Reetz singled. Rhett Wiseman followed with a three-run homer just over the outstretched glove of right-fielder Yusnel Diaz, but that was as close as the Senators would get.

“We just didn’t get it done,” LeCroy said. “Elimination game tomorrow, so we’ll come back at them.”