Daily Recap: 8/16

Cats Power Past Aeros 3-2
Barfield Finishes 0-2

AKRON, OH – New Britain slugged two early home runs and the Aeros could not overcome a two-run deficit as they fell to the Rock Cats 3-2 before 6,392 fans at Canal Park Saturday night. The Aeros (73-55) dropped to two games behind division-leading Bowie, while New Britain improved to 53-72.

The Rock Cats jumped on Akron starter Ryan Edell in the first inning. The left-hander retired the first two men he faced, but Dustin Martin singled up the middle and David Winfree socked a two-run home run to left field to give New Britain the early lead.

The Aeros put themselves on the board with one out in the second, as Josh Rodriguez doubled and Stephen Head singled him home to cut the lead in half at 2-1. Danny Valencia got the run back for New Britain in the fourth inning however, drilling a leadoff home run to left to make it 3-1.

Akron reduced the lead to a single run again in the fifth, as Wes Hodges delivered an RBI double with two away to score Head all the way from first and cut the lead to 3-2. The scoring unfortunately stopped there for the Aeros, who stranded 13 runners on the night (including seven in scoring position).

Akron had opportunities to score in the eighth and ninth off New Britain closer Ben Julianel. The Aeros put runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth, but Brandon Pinckney flied out to center to end that threat. In the ninth, Rodriguez reached on an errant throw by second baseman Felix Molina and Head followed with a walk. Julianel rallied though, retiring the next three men to end the game.

Jeff Manship (2-6) picked up the win with five innings of work, surrendering two runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Edell (6-7) took the loss, making just the two home run mistakes and allowing three runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Julianel earned his 24th save in 25 chances for New Britain. Hodges was 3-5 on the night with his 87th RBI, and Head reached base three times with a pair of singles and a walk. The bullpen was also terrific, as Erik Stiller and Reid Santos combined for 3.2 innings of one-hit ball, striking out two and walking none.

The Aeros conclude this three-game series Sunday at 2:05 p.m., as Akron’s Steven Wright (3-2, 4.47 ERA) takes the mound against New Britain lefty Kyle Asleton (4-6, 5.13 ERA). The Aeros will give away luggage tags to the first 2,000 fans at Canal Park, courtesy of Akron-Canton Airport. It is also Family Pack Day with four tickets, four hot dogs, four bags of chips and four fountain sodas for just $48. Indians catcher Victor Martinez is expected to continue his rehab with four at-bats as the designated hitter Sunday. The game broadcast begins at 1:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

K-Tribe Eight Game Win Streak Comes to an End

The Kinston Indians eight game win streak came to an end, as Frederick scored late beating Kinston 6-4 Saturday night in Maryland. It was the first time since July 26th that a team other than Myrtle Beach has beaten the K-Tribe.

Kinston bolted out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to a first inning, two-run home run from Jared Goedert. It was Goedert’s 10th home run of the season. Kinston scored two more runs in the second inning thanks to a two RBI single from Lucas Montero. Montero was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI for Kinston.

The K-Tribe led Frederick 4-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, until the Keys Chris Amador tied it with a two-run home run off of Kinston reliever Sung-Wei Tseng. In the seventh inning Tseng loaded the bases with a walk, single and hit batter. Kinston’s Josh Tomlin relieved Tseng, coming into the tie game with the bases loaded and nobody out. A Chris Vinyard sacrifice fly scored Danny Figueroa for Frederick and put the Keys up for good. A Brandon Tripp RBI single later in the inning finished the scoring for Frederick. Tseng (0-6) was saddled with the loss, giving up two hits and four runs. Jeanmar Gomez had a great start for Kinston, giving up five hits and two earned runs in five innings of work.

The K-Tribe will play the final game of the four game series Sunday afternoon at Frederick. Game time 2pm as Kinston sends Hector Rondon to the hill. The Indians return home to Grainger Stadium for their final homestand of the season this Monday through Saturday.

CAPTAINS CLOBBER BRAVES 12-6

(Rome, GA) – Jeff Hehr had two hits and four RBI’s including a bases loaded triple and Captains batters walked 14 times the Lake County Captains defeated the Rome Braves 12-6 on Saturday. Matt Brown and Juan Valdes each had three hits in game for the Captains and Brown has had three straight multi hit games. The Captains are 5-1 on the road trip.

The Captains got to Braves starter Erik Cordier in the first inning putting five runs on the board. The Captains had RBI’s from Matt Brown, Jeff Hehr, Doug Pickens and two from Juan Valdes and they led 5-0. The Braves scored a run off of Captains starter Ryan Miller in the bottom of the third inning on a RBI single by C.J. Lee and it was 5-1.

The Captains added five more runs in the top of the fourth inning off of Braves reliever Eric Barrett on Hehr’s triple, a RBI single by Pickens and a bases loaded walk to Mark Thompson and it was 10-1. The Braves added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and two more in the fifth on a two RBI double by Freddie Freeman and it was 10-4.

The Captains added two more runs in the sixth inning on RBI’s from Thompson and Karexon Sanchez to up the lead to 12-4. The Braves made it 12-5 when Michael Fisher singled in Cody Johnson in the seventh inning against Paolo Espino. The Braves added another run in the eighth on a RBI single by Adam Coe to cut the lead to 12-6.

Miller got a no decision going 4.1 innings allowing four runs on seven hits walking three and striking out three. Gary Campfield relieved Miller and threw 1.2 innings and picked up the win to up his record to 7-3. Espino threw two innings allowing the two runs while striking out five. Garrett Rieck pitched a scoreless inning striking out one. Cordier took the loss and his record fell to 1-1.

The Captains and Braves play game three of the four game series on Sunday at 2:00 PM. Eric Berger (0-0, 0.00) will make his Captains debut and he will be opposed by the Braves RHP Michael Mehlich (1-2, 2.85). All Captains games can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

SCRAPPERS WALK OFF WITH 9-8 WIN

On Saturday night it was the Jammers that scored first, plating one in the first and then two more in the second when Konrad Thieme hit a two run home run. After two it was 3-0 Jammers. In the third the Scrappers scored three runs, coming on a RBI ground our from Corteze Armstrong, an RBI double from Cord Phelps and a RBI single from Lonnie Chisenhall and after three the game was tied at 3-3.

The Jammers then rallied in the top of the fourth scoring three runs, highlighted by a two run home run by Joel Staples and after four it was 6-3 Jammers. The Jammers added one in the fifth and it was 7-3 Jammers. The Scrappers battled back in the sixth scoring two runs, Jeremie Tice triples in Chisenhall and then scored himself on a wild pitch and after six it was 7-5 Jammers.

In the seventh the Jammers added another run on a walk, Scrapper throwing error and a RBI ground out by Ernie Banks and after seven it was now 8-5 Jammers. In the eighth the Scrappers threatened loading the bases, but could not score so we went to the ninth 8-5 Jammers.

In the Scrappers ninth, the first two bathers reached before Time Fedroff delivered an RBI single as did Cord Phelps, then with the he bases loaded Brock Simpson delivered a two RBI single and the Scrappers walked off with a 9-8 victory!

In Other Games...

- Buffalo won 1-0. LHP John Halama went 7 magnificent scoreless innings and allowed 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout. OF Trevor Crowe went 1-for-3 with a 2B and walk, 3B Jared Head went 1-for-3 with a 2B, and OF Todd Linden went 1-for-3 with a 2B and RBI.

- The GCL Indians were rained out.

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