Game Recaps: Monday 5/25

Big 6th Inning Leads Aeros to 8-1 Win

The Aeros used a monster sixth inning to earn a split with second-place Erie, defeating the SeaWolves 8-1 before 9,118 fans at Canal Park, a season-high in attendance and the sixth-largest crowd in the history of the stadium. Akron improved to 31-11 and kept the best record in professional baseball, while Erie fell to 25-18 and dropped to 6.5-games behind the Aeros in the Southern Division.

Akron struck first in this game, as streaking catcher Carlos Santana socked his team-leading seventh home run of the season to left-center field in the second inning. Erie responded shortly thereafter, as Brennan Boesch ripped a triple past a diving Beau Mills at first base and scored on a fielder’s choice by Cale Iorg, tying the game at 1-1.

Everything went wrong for SeaWolves starter Luis Marte in the bottom of the sixth, as a leadoff ground-rule double by Beau Mills started the massive Akron rally. Santana walked, and Matt McBride then tried to sacrifice the runners only to see Marte throw the ball past Santo de Leon at third base as Mills scored to give the Aeros the 2-1 edge. Canadian sensation Nick Weglarz then hit the second ground-rule double of the inning, scoring both Santana and McBride and giving Akron a sizable lead at 4-1.

The fun continued as Jerad Head hit a roller up the third base line that went under De Leon’s glove to put runners at first and second with still no outs, and Niuman Romero beat out a bunt to load the bases. Crist Arnal bounced into a fielder’s choice with Weglarz forced at home, but Jose Constanza and Carlos Rivero then gave the Aeros all the insurance they would need, as both delivered consecutive two-run singles to provide the final margin of the afternoon. The seven runs in the inning marked a new season-high for Akron.

Hector Rondon (6-1) became the second six-game winner in the Eastern League with his first victory since returning to the starting rotation last week. He finished with a solid six innings of work, allowing three hits, one run and a season-high four walks while striking out four as well to notch his third quality start. Marte (2-5) took the loss as he went 5.1 innings while giving up nine hits, eight runs (three earned), two walks and struck out a pair. Carlton Smith came on in the seventh inning for Rondon and pitched three shutout innings while permitting only two hits and recording a strikeout for his first save of the season.

The home stand continues Tuesday night as the Reading Phillies travel to Akron for the first match-up between the divisional rivals this season. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. on Two for Tuesday as Jeanmar Gomez (4-0, 0.31 ERA) of the Aeros takes the mound against Vance Worley (3-2, 3.22 ERA) of the Phillies.

K-Tribe game suspended because of rain

Monday’s game between Kinston and Potomac was suspended in the top of the second inning due to rain. The score was 0-0 with two on and one out for Kinston in the top of the second inning. Kinston will pick up this suspended game (playing the entire nine innings) and play a seven inning game following the first, with everything starting Tuesday night at 5:35 pm.

Captains Overpowered 10-5

Andrew Walker drove in five runs and Rudy Owens threw five shutout innings as the West Virginia Power beat the Lake County Captains 10-5 on Monday. The Power took three of the four games of the series.

The Power got the early lead scoring a run in the top of the second off of Captain Danny Salazar when Jeremy Farrell reached on an infield hit and then scored on a double by Erik Huber and it was 1-0. The Power added six more runs in the top of the third inning highlighted by a bases loaded triple by Walker to take a 7-0 lead. It went to 9-0 when Walker doubled home two more runs in the top of the fifth inning.

The Captains got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning when they scored three times. Chris Nash singled home two runs and Michael Valadez knocked in another run to make it 9-3. The Captains picked up another run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a solo home run from Mark Thompson and it was 9-4. It went to 10-4 in the top of the eighth inning when a double play ball allowed Robbie Grossman to score. The Captains scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to close out the scoring.

Salazar (0-1) took the loss allowing seven runs, three earned, on six hits, walking two and striking out two. Owens (5-1) got the win allowing only one hit in five innings of work. Ryan Kelly worked the last three inning for the Power and go his second save of the year.

The Captains begin a four game series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Tuesday with the Captains sending RHP Alexander Perez (2-2, 3.67) to the mound against the Grasshoppers RHP Kyle Kaminska (4-2, 4.09).

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