Game Recaps: Sunday 7/19

Aeros Take Series, Cruise to 7-3 Victory

The Aeros claimed a 7-3 triumph over the visiting Bowie Baysox in front of 3,613 fans at Canal Park Sunday afternoon, taking the final three games of the four-game series. The offense was in full force again with nine walks and a dozen hits, helping starter Michael Tejera to his first win as an Aero. Akron improved to 59-36 with the victory and maintained its six-game cushion in the Southern Division, while the Baysox (52-43) dropped to fourth place.

Bowie put up a run in the first inning as Daniel Figueroa (11-16 in the series) singled, stole second and came around to score on a RBI base hit to left by Ambiorix Concepcion. Consecutive singles opened the third inning for the Baysox, and after Figueroa put down a sacrifice bunt Concepcion shot a ball up the middle. Second baseman Cristo Arnal fielded it but his flip to Carlos Rivero at the bag was off the mark, allowing Jason White to score. Third baseman Kyle Haines was backing up the play however, and made a heads-up play to throw out Jonathan Tucker at the plate.

Haines then led off the bottom half of the inning with a knock to center, and Matt McBride drilled a two-out RBI double off the wall in left-center to cut the deficit in half. Akron then pulled ahead in the fourth, as John Drennen collected a one-out walk, Armando Camacaro yanked a double inside the third base bag, and Haines looped a run-scoring single to right to tie the game at 2-2. Jose Constanza then walked to load the bases, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Arnal gave the Aeros a 3-2 lead. The Baysox would collect a single run to tie the score in the fifth on a pair of singles by Figueroa and Concepcion, but that would be it for the Bowie offense for the rest of the afternoon.

Akron broke the game open in the sixth inning when Camacaro began things with a single and Haines moved him over to second with a sacrifice. Constanza followed with an RBI triple (his team-leading sixth of the season) to put the Aeros in front, and McBride followed two batters later with a towering two-run homer to left to make the score 6-3. Carlos Santana extended the inning with a walk, and back-to-back singles by Beau Mills and Carlos Rivero provided for the final margin.

Tejera (1-2) earned the win in his third outing for Akron this season, notching a quality start while scattering three runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings. Bowie reliever Zach Clark (0-1) took the loss in allowing all four runs in the seventh, and in two appearances in the series permitted eight runs and 13 hits in just 3.2 innings. Constanza starred again for the Aeros, finishing 2-4 with a walk and has now collected 14 walks and 11 hits in his past eight contests. McBride, who made it into the starting lineup only when Nick Weglarz was scratched an hour before game time, went 2-3 with a pair of walks, a double, a homer and three RBI, while Camacaro finished 2-5 with a double and two runs scored. Haines meanwhile went 3-3 with a sacrifice in picking up his first three-hit performance since July 26, 2008 with the Connecticut Defenders of the San Francisco Giants organization.

Akron hits the road Monday for the beginning of a four-game series at Jerry Uht Park in Erie beginning at 7:05 p.m. The Aeros will do battle with the second-place SeaWolves 16 more times this season starting tomorrow, and Josh Tomlin (9-6, 4.18 ERA) will take the mound tomorrow against Erie’s Luis Marte (5-8, 4.07 ERA).

Kinston Comeback Falls Short As Potomac Finishes Sweep 9-6

Four K-Tribe errors led to three unearned runs early for Potomac as the Nats finished off a three-game sweep of Kinston 9-6.

Three throwing errors in the bottom of the second inning—two by Ronald Rivas and one by Eric Perlozzo—opened up the flood gates for the Nationals as Potomac scored four runs in the inning, but just one earned against K-Tribe starter Eric Berger.

Berger (7-7) suffered a tough-luck loss pitching four and 2/3 innings, allowing five runs but just two earned, on four hits, four walks and six strikeouts.

Ole Sheldon would get Kinston on the board in the fourth inning by hitting his fifth home run of the season to make the game 5-1.

Potomac would come right back with one more in the fifth and a four-run seventh off K-Tribe reliever David Roberts to break the game open 9-1.

Potomac starter Jeff Mandel (8-4) was dominant in his seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits, a walk and six strikeouts.

But in the top of the eighth inning, Kinston tried to mount a comeback. P-Nats reliever Cole Kimball walked four of the five batters he faced to start the frame, as Roman Pena got an RBI walk with the bases loaded to score Lucas Montero. Kimball was lifted for Dan Leatherman who surrendered a bases-clearing 3-RBI double for Ronald Rivas to cut the lead to 9-5. Doug Pickens then singled home Rivas to cut the lead to three, but Leatherman would shut the door after that, striking out Ryan Blair and Eric Perlozzo to end the inning.

Kinston would go one-two-three in the ninth and lose 9-6.

The Indians managed just 14 hits in the three games, a season low number of hits for Kinston in a three-game set this season.

Kinston has an off day tomorrow and returns home to face the Winston-Salem Dash for three games starting Tuesday night with Alexander Perez (1-0, 0.69) on the mound for a 7 pm start.

Homers Cost the Captains

Two three run home runs by the Greenville Drive were the difference in the game as the Drive defeated the Lake County Captains 7-3 on Sunday. The Drive has taken two of the first three games of the series.

The Drive got the lead in the first inning when Mitch Dening hit a three run home run off of Captains starter Trey Haley and it was 3-0. It went to 6-0 when Ryan Dent hit a three run home run in the top of the third inning. The Drive added a run in the top of the sixth inning off of Captains reliever Ryan Miller on a RBI single by Zach Gentile and it was 7-0.

The Captains broke up the shutout in the bottom of the sixth inning when Mark Thompson scored from third on a wild pitch by Mike Lee and it was 7-1. The Captains added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two run double by Nate Recknagel and it was 7-3.

Haley (2-6) took the loss lasting three innings and allowing six runs on four hits, walking five and striking out two. Miller followed Haley and allowed one run in three innings of work and struck out five. Matt Langwell threw two scoreless innings and Steve Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning. Drive starter Nick Hagdone did not factor in the decision pitching three scoreless innings allowing two hits, walking two and striking out four. Mike Lee (2-3) got the win pitching 4.2 relief innings and allowing three runs on one hit, walking three and striking out seven.

The Captains and Drive wrap up the four game series on Monday at 7:00 PM with the Captains sending LHP Chris Jones (3-2, 4.75) to the mound to face Drive RHP Hunter Strickland (5-4, 3.22).

Scrappers a Walk Off Winner 8-6

The Scrappers wrapped up a six game homestand on Sunday evening with a walk off grand
slam from Greg Folgia and swept the Tigers out of Eastwood Field 8-6.

Mahoning Valley started the scoring in the bottom of the first when Jordan Henry reached on a walk went to second on a throwing error and scored on two ground outs. The Scrappers added to the lead in the third when Rafael Vera delivered a sacrifice fly to center and Greg Folgia followed with a RBI double, making it 3-0 Scrapper after three innings.

In the fifth, the Tigers scored four runs off of Scrappers starter Marty Popham, all with two outs in the inning. Christopher Sedon delivered a three RBI triple to right field, and then scored on a single from Jamie Johnson. The Tigers added two more runs
off of the Scrappers bullpen and after seven the Oneonta Tigers had rallied for a 6-3 lead.

In the ninth, Jason Smit led off with a walk, Chun Chen followed with a double and Rafael Vera followed with a walk to load the bases. Ben Carlson followed with his fourth walk of the game forcing home a run. Greg Folgia then followed with a grand slam to right field and the Scrappers walked off a winner 8-6.

Posted in: