Game Recaps: Sunday 4/19

Clippers earn first Huntington Park victory

The Clippers didn't have to wait long for the first win at Huntington Park. Jack Cassel pitched six innings and Matt LaPorta hit the first Clippers home run to highlight a 7-5 victory Sunday afternoon over the Toledo Mud Hens.

Josh Barfield, in his second game as a Clipper, led off the bottom of the first with a single and would later take advantage on an error by Mud Hen second baseman Will Rhymes to score the first run of the day. The Mud Hens answered back in the third with the first home run in Huntington Park, a solo shot by Don Kelly.

Cassel would create some trouble for himself in the fifth inning, walking two batters. Rhymes followed with a two-run triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Raburn. Cassel got his first win with seven strikeouts, five walks and four earned runs after throwing just over one hundred pitches.

The Clippers took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Wyatt Toregas led off with a single to right and an aggressive hit and run took Toregas to third on a single by Wilson Valdez. Valdez stole second just before a single by Barfield that plated Toregas. Luis Valbuena followed with another RBI single to right and Barfield scored on a throwing error by Clete Thomas. Valbuena advanced to second on the error, stole third, and then scored on a single by Wes Hodges.

The two-run homer to left center by LaPorta capped the Clippers scoring in the seventh. Matt Herges came on to pitch the ninth and gave up one run and two hits before recording his second save of the season.

The Clippers will welcome in Louisville for a three-game series beginning Monday. Lefty David Huff will oppose Seth McClure for the Bats and first pitch is slated for 6:35pm.

Lofgren Almost Perfect in 6-3 Win

BOWIE, MD – Chuck Lofgren carried a perfect game into the fourth and a no-hitter into the fifth, and the Aeros gave him plenty of early run support in a 6-3 triumph over Bowie before 2,904 fans at Prince George’s Stadium Sunday afternoon. Akron improved to a league-best 8-2 with the win and climbed six games over .500 for the first time this year, while the Baysox fell to 5-6.

Jose Constanza set the tone early at the plate, drawing a four-pitch walk to open the game against Bowie’s Sean Gleason, who was making his Double-A debut. A fielding error advanced Constanza to second, a groundout moved him to third, and he scored on a passed ball as Akron took a 1-0 lead without a hit in the inning.

The Aeros tacked on two more runs in the third thanks to an RBI groundout by Carlos Santana and a sacrifice fly by Nick Weglarz, and iced the game with three runs in the fifth. Beau Mills started the inning with a single and Santana followed with a double underneath the glove of Brandon Snyder at first base. Ambiorix Concepcion then bobbled the ball in right field to allow Mills to score, and Weglarz followed with a first-pitch bomb to left center for his first home run of the year and a 6-0 lead.

Bowie finally broke through against Lofgren on a solo home run by Concepcion in the bottom of the fifth, but that was all the “Big Swede” would allow as he earned his first win of the year and improved to 1-0. Lofgren retired the first 10 hitters of the game en route to turning in a quality start, as the left-hander covered six innings and allowed just a run on four hits. He walked one and struck out three. Gleason (0-1) was tagged for all six runs (five earned) and seven hits in four innings, walking one and not recording a strikeout. Vinnie Pestano came on for the final out in the ninth and struck out Adam Donachie (who was the potential tying run) on four pitches for his fifth save. Weglarz went 1-3 with the home run and his first three RBI of the season, while Mills, Carlos Rivero, and John Drennen all had two hits.

Akron’s week-long road trip continues Monday night in Harrisburg, with a 7 p.m. start time for game one of a three-game series. Hector Rondon (2-0, 1.59 ERA) will start for Akron against Senators left-hander Mike O’Connor (0-0, 3.00 ERA).

K-Tribe beats Winston-Salem 9-7

The K-Tribe’s bats stayed hot as Kinston belted out a season high 13 hits and nine runs in a 9-7 win over Winston-Salem on Sunday afternoon at Historic Grainger Stadium.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Kinston’s Roman Pena gave the Indian’s a lead they would not give up with a three-run home run. Pena ended up 2-for-3 with three rbi and two runs scored. John Allman set a season high for the K-Tribe with four hits, going 4-for-5 with two RBI. In addition Cord Phelps, Matt Brown and Alex Castillo each had multiple hits for the K-Tribe.

Ryan Miller got the spot start for Kinston, giving up one earned run and one hit in four innings. He walked five and struck out two. Jonathan Holt (1-0) gets the win, giving up a hit in two innings. Garrison Campfield got the hold, Josh Judy notched his third save of the season for Kinston.

The K-Tribe hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a three game series starting Monday night at 7:05 pm. Jeanmar Gomez will get the Monday start for Kinston.

Shorebirds Edge Captains 4-3

The Delmarva Shorebirds scored two runs in the top of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie and held on to defeat the Captains 4-3 on Sunday. The Captains and Shorebirds split the four games in the series.

The Shorebirds got an early lead plating a run in the bottom of the first inning when Ron Welty singled and went to second on a wild pitch. He scored on a single by Joe Mahoney and it was 1-0. The Shorebirds upped the score to 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning when Jed Stephen singled home Elvin Polanco.

Donnie Webb lead off the second inning for the Captains with his second home run of the year and it was 2-1. The Captains tied it up in the top of the fifth inning on a RBI single by Ryan Blair that scored Karexon Sanchez.

The Shorebirds took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of seventh on RBI’s by Stephen and Xavier Avery. The Captains cut it to 4-3 on Ryan Blair’s first home run of the year in the top of the eighth inning.

Captain’s starter Russell Young went four innings and allowed two runs, one earned on four hits striking out four but did not factor in the decision. Santo Frias followed with two scoreless innings of relief striking out two. Matt Langwell came on and pitched the seventh inning, taking the loss allowing two runs on two hits, walking two and striking out one. Anillins Matinez pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Oliver Drake started for Delmarva and picked up the win going seven innings and allowing two runs, one earned on three hits and striking out five. Eddie Gamboa replaced Drake in the eighth inning and allowed the Blair home run. Joe Esposito pitched a scoreless ninth inning and recorded his second save of the year.

The Captains head to Lakewood NJ to take on the BlueClaws in a three game series beginning on Monday at 6:35 PM. The Captains will have RHP Joey Mahalic (0-1, 2.00) on the mound against the Claws RHP Jason Knapp (0-2, 3.18).

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