Game Recaps 5/30

FYI, Nash on the DL. Likely not back for at least three weeks. Shoulder still bothering him, and they are hoping some rest does some good. Likely return is soon after the All-Star break.

Akron KO’s Bowie with K’s, Win in 9th

AKRON, OH – Newcomer Bronson Sardinha reached on an infield single in the bottom of the ninth with the bases full to lift Akron to a 5-4 win over Bowie before 7,050 fans at Canal Park Friday night. The Aeros, who have won five of six and set a new season-high with 14 strikeouts from their pitchers, pushed their record to 28-24 and moved just 2.5 games back of the division-leading Baysox, who fell to 32-23.

Akron scored the first run of the game in the first inning when Trevor Crowe drew a walk from Bowie starter Chris Tillman, and scored on an RBI double by Chris Gimenez that hit off the top of the wall in left-center. The Baysox responded with two runs in the third and one in the fourth. Bowie loaded the bases in the third with no one out, and tied the game on a wild 4-3-6-5 double play. Bowie then scratched out a 2-1 lead on a fielding error by Wes Hodges later in the inning, and Nolan Reimold led off the fourth with a solo shot over the wall in center off Akron starter Kevin Dixon to make it 3-1.

After Josh Rodriguez doubled home a run in the fifth to make it 3-2, Akron took advantage of poor Bowie defense to score two runs in the sixth. Sardinha led off with a double into the right-field corner and moved to third on a passed ball. Stephen Head then drove Sardinha home on a sacrifice fly to right, tying the game at 3-3. Then with Trevor Crowe at the dish and runners at first and second, Bowie catcher Brian Peterson threw errantly down the left field line as Brandon Pinckney scored all the way from second to give Akron a 4-3 lead.

Bowie tied the game in the top of the ninth off Akron closer Randy Newsom, who has blown two saves in his last four tries after starting the season 13 for 13. Pinch-hitter Sebastien Boucher led off with a double to left that Crowe lost in the wind and the lights, and two batters later Blake Davis tripled off the wall in right-center, scoring Boucher and tying the game.

The Aeros did not let up in the bottom of the ninth, however, as Crowe led off with his own double, a pop up that fell between three fielders in shallow center. Bowie intentionally walked Josh Rodriguez, and Rommie Lewis Jr. then hit Chris Gimenez on a sacrifice bunt attempt to load the bases. After Wes Hodges struck out on a full count, Sardinha hit a broken-bat grounder up the middle. Second baseman Jonathan Tucker could not handle the tricky spin however, and with Crowe going home on contact, Tucker had no chance as the Aeros won in walk-off fashion.

Newsom (3-0) picked up the win, allowing his first earned run since April 6th in one inning of work. Lewis (0-4) took the loss, allowing one earned run in 1.2 innings. Kevin Dixon worked six strong innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. He tied his career-high with nine strikeouts, and walked three. Jeff Stevens faced eight hitters, striking out five and walking two in his two innings of work. Jose Constanza paced the offense with a 3-4 night, while Sardinha went 2-4 and Crowe finished 1-3 with a pair of walks.

The Aeros continue their three-game homestand Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Canal Park. Akron left-hander David Huff (4-1, 1.98 ERA) will face off against Bowie left-hander Craig Anderson (0-0, 12.27 ERA). The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

Kinston Wins Sixth in a Row in a Wild One in Potomac

The Kinston Indians won their season-high sixth game in a row, beating the Potomac Nationals, 8-6, in the opening game of a three game series Friday night at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbrige, VA. Kinston continued their hot hitting in the first inning putting up five runs and knocking Nationals front-line starter Ross Detwiler out of the box. Potomac countered with three in the bottom half of that frame, and tied it in the fifth inning.

Kinston responded in the top of the sixth on an RBI-single by Beau Mills, and two runs in the sixth. Potomac would not die, though, getting a run in their half of the sixth, and making things interesting down the stretch. In the eighth inning, the Nationals had the tying run on base with one out, and Beau Mills snared a line drive to first base. He tried to double up the runner at first, but Francisco Piasencia was called safe at first. Both manager Chris Tremie and pitching coach Greg Hibbard were thrown out for arguing, but Kinston escaped the inning on a ground ball.

Sung-Wei Tseng loaded the bases in the ninth, but Dan Cevette struck out pinch-hitter Chris Marrero and forced Dee Brown to fly out to right for the final out.

Hector Rondon (2-3) didn’t pitch too well, giving up five runs in five innings, but picked up his second straight victory.

The K-Tribe goes back to look for their seventh straight win when they face Potomac again at 6:35. Carlton Smith, the staff leader in wins at 3-2 takes the hill for the Indians.

BLUECLAWS RALLY TO BEAT CAPTAINS 13-5

(Eastlake, OH) - After Kelvin De La Cruz allowed no runs on only one hit through the first six innings, the Captains bullpen was roughed up for thirteen runs on fifteen hits during the last three innings as the Lakewood BlueClaws rallied back to beat the Captains 13-8 on Friday in front of 9,002 at Classic Park. The Captains lead in the Northern Division is down to 3.5 games over Delmarva.

The Captains jumped on BlueClaws starter Jacob Diekman in the first inning. Diekman walked Adam White and Mark Thompson. He balked them over the second and third and then Roman Pena singled them both home and the Captains led 2-0. The Captains extended the lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning when two runs scored, one via an error by left fielder Michael Taylor and the second on and RBI double by Lucas Montero. The Blue Claws tied it up when they threw up four runs of their own in the seventh inning off reliever Josh Judy on a RBI single by Travis Mattair and a three run pinch hit double by Joel Naughton.

The Captains got the lead back in the bottom of the seventh inning scoring four runs on RBI’s by Pena, Matt Brown, Karexon Sanchez and Montero to make it 8-4. The Claws didn’t roll over, they tied it in the top of the eighth on a two run homer run by Karl Bolt off of Judy and a then a two run home run off of Joanniel Montero by Mattair to tie it at 8-8.

The BlueClaws scored five runs in the top of the ninth off Montero, capped off by a three run homer by Dominic Brown and Lakewood led 13-8. De La Cruz went six scoreless innings giving up only one hit, walking two and striking out three. Joanniel Montero got the loss to go to 0-1.

The series concludes n Saturday at 7:05 PM as the Captains send LHP Ryan Morris (6-0, 2.01) to the mound against the BlueClaws RHP Chance Chapman (2-4, 2.83). The game can also be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

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