Game Recaps: Sunday 6/21

I hope all the dad's out there had a Happy Father's Day yesterday.

Aeros Complete Sweep, Blank Portland 4-0

Akron capped off a highly successful road trip with their ninth shutout of the season, blanking the Sea Dogs 4-0 and allowing just two hits in front of 6,518 fans at Hadlock Field Sunday afternoon. The Aeros improved to a season-high 24 games over .500 at 46-22 and won six out of seven games on the road trip, while Portland slipped to 32-36. The Aeros outscored Portland and New Hampshire by an aggregate of 29-11 on the trip, and held the Sea Dogs to just one run in 25 innings in their third three-game sweep of the season.

Jared Goedert continued his hot hitting in the early going, driving in Akron’s first two runs. Matt McBride reached on an infield single with one down in the second, went to third on a hit-and-run base hit from Carlos Rivero, and scored on Goedert’s two-out RBI double down the left field line to put the Aeros up 1-0. The duo combined again in the fourth, as McBride led off with a double and scored on Goedert’s second two-bagger, stretching the advantage to 2-0.

The Aeros then got two big insurance runs in the seventh, as a single, a sacrifice, and two walks loaded the bases with one out. Portland reliever Dustin Richardson recovered to get Beau Mills on a fly ball for the second out though, and was a strike away from getting out of the inning before McBride laced a single back up the middle to score a pair and give Akron some breathing room.

Carlton Smith (4-0) earned the win, tossing two shutout frames in relief of rehabbing starter Scott Lewis who gave up just a hit and two walks in four innings. Matt Meyer followed with 2.2 innings out of the bullpen before Josh Judy recorded the final out to preserve the shutout. Adam Mills (2-5) limited Akron to just two runs despite nine hits but suffered the loss. McBride finished 3-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI, while Goedert also notched three hits and drove in a pair. He extended his hitting streak to a season-high five games, and went 7-10 in this series. Every Akron starter had at least one hit with the exception of Carlos Santana, who drew two walks.

Akron will enjoy a well-deserved day off Monday before returning to work Tuesday evening at 7:05 p.m. in the opener of a three-game series with the Trenton Thunder, a rematch of the last two Eastern League Championship Series. Indians left-hander Aaron Laffey will make a rehab start for the Aeros against an as yet undetermined Trenton pitcher.

K-Tribe Ends the First Half With a Win

On the final day of the first half, Kinston scored a season high seven runs by sending a season high 11 batters to the plate in the fifth inning at City Stadium on Sunday, propelling the K-Tribe to a 9-4 win and a two-game win streak heading into the All-Star break.

The seven-run fifth inning started with an Alex Castillo single and an Adam Davis walk. Tim Fedroff then laid down a sacrifice bunt that starting pitcher Justin Wilson (3-5) promptly threw over the head of his third baseman and out of play. The throwing error allowed Castillo to score and the flood gates to open up. Chi-Hung Cheng relieved Wilson only to walk the next two batters bringing home Davis. The third Lynchburg pitcher of the inning Paul Mildren then allowed a two-RBI double by Ole Sheldon and a RBI single by Roman Pena to make the game 6-0 Kinston. A double play off the bat of Lucas Montero would drive home the seventh run of the game and sixth of the inning, and then Alex Castillo finished off the scoring by singling home Ryan Blair. When it was all said and done, Kinston sent a season high 11 men to the plate and tied a season high with five hits in the inning.

Kinston (26-41) then rode a third straight outstanding outing by starter Russell Young (1-3) to a win. Young earned his first win of the season, going a season high 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, a walk, three hit batters, and five strikeouts.

Lynchburg would score two more runs in the bottom of the eighth off K-Tribe reliever Chen-Chang Lee, but the Indians would another insurance run in the top of the ninth on an Alex Castillo sacrifice fly to drove home Sheldon. Sheldon went 4-for-5 with two runs driven in and two runs scored in his third game of the season with Kinston.

After a three day All-Star Break, the K-Tribe’s next game will be this Thursday at Historic Grainger Stadium. Kinston kicks off the second half of the season with a seven game homestand at Historic Grainger Stadium. Game time 7pm on Thursday, Ryan Morris will take the hill against Salem.

Captains Win First Half Finale 14-5

Nate Recknagel had a home run and five RBI’s as the Lake County Captains brought the curtain down on the first half of the season in fine fashion, defeating the Lakewood BlueClaws 14-5 on Sunday. The Captains ended the first half with a 31-36 record.

The Claws struck in the bottom of the first inning when Harold Garcia led off the inning with a walk and stole second. He move to third on a ground out and scored on single from Jeremy Hamilton and it was 1-0. The Captains came right back in the top the third inning when Donnie Webb walked and went to second on a Chris Nash base hit. Walter Diaz singled home Webb with Nash moving to third. Two batters later Michael Valadez grounded out with Nash scoring and Diaz taking third. Diaz scored when Delvi Cid followed with an infield single and the Captains led 3-1.

It went to 4-1 when Karexon Sanchez walked, stole second and went to third when the catcher’s throw went into center field. He scored when Nate Recknagel ground out to second. The BlueClaws scored a run in the bottom of the third to curt the lead to 4-2. The Captains added two more runs in the top of the fifth inning when Nash doubled home Webb and Nash scored on a double by Adam White to extend the lead to 6-2. It was 6-3 when Steve Susdorf tripled and scored on a RBI single by Jim Murphy.

The Captains upped the lead in the top of the sixth inning scoring three times highlighted by a two run home run by Nate Recknagel and it was 9-3. The BlueClaws added another run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Susdorf doubled and scored on a double by Murphy. The Captains got three more in the top of the eighth inning on a two RBI double by Recknagel and he later scored on a passed ball and it was 12-4. It was 12-5 when Brendan Akashian homered in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Captains ended the scoring throwing up two more runs in the top f the ninth inning on a RBI from Matt Willard and a wild pitch that scored a run.

Captains’ starter Trey Haley did not get a decision going 3.1 innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits walking a season high seven batters and striking out one. T.J. McFarland (3-3) got the win hurling 4.2 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out three. BlueClaws starter Trevor May (0-1) took the loss allowing four runs in three innings of work.

In a game that was the suspended on Saturday afternoon and resumed prior to the scheduled game, the Captains scored twice in the top of the twelfth but Lakewood scored three times to win the game 5-4.

The Captains return home on Thursday June 25th to begin the second half of the season with a nine game home stand.

Scrappers Pitching Keys 1-0 Win

Pitching took over on Sunday evening after the Scrappers pounded out 12 runs and sixteen hits on Saturday night. Scrappers starter Brett Brach was sensational in his professional debut going four shutout innings allowing two hits, one walk and striking out three. Scrapper relievers Tyler Sturdevant (3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K) and Cory Burns (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) combined to work five scoreless innings. The Scrappers won the game with an amazing bottom of the ninth. Lurvin Basabe started the ninth off with a single, he went to third on a single by Bo Greenwell and then scored on a sac fly by Kyle Bellows for the win.

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