Game Recaps: Thursday 7/23

Mahoning Valley was rained out on Thursday.

Aeros split twin-bill with Seawolves

The Aeros split their two games today with the Erie SeaWolves, taking the suspended game one 4-3 before dropping what was supposed to be a seven-inning second game in eleven innings by the final count of 6-5 in front of 2,872 fans at Jerry Uht Park. The first two home runs of Mickey Hall’s season and yet another solid performance by John Drennen were not enough to collect a sweep, but the Aeros (60-39) did manage to snap a nine-game losing streak against second-place Erie (55-43).

Game one today was the continuation of last night’s suspended contest when Hall hit a home run in the third and Beau Mills had an RBI single to make it 2-0. Erie’s Brennan Boesch then blasted a two-run homer before a 30-minute rain delay halted the game in the bottom of the fourth. The games began at 12:05 p.m. today and the SeaWolves struck first with a run in the seventh. Casper Wells singled and steal and an error brought him to third before a single by Santo De Leon gave Erie the one-run advantage.

Akron then turned up the heat in the ninth inning against Erie closer Bret Jensen as Carlos Rivero nailed a 0-1 pitch over the fence in left field for his second home run of the season to make it tied at 3-3. Hall then hit a single to center, and Kyle Haines singled to right where SeaWolves outfielders Deik Scram and Wells collided, bringing home Hall to provide for the winning run of the afternoon. Putnam (2-2) earned the win despite allowing the run in the seventh, while Jensen (3-2) took the loss in his fourth blown save of the year. New closer Josh Judy came into the game in the ninth and struck out all three batters he faced, earning his fourth save.

Drennen then kicked off a rally in the second of game two with a double to left, and Rivero hit a single while Hall finished the outburst with his second home run in as many games to give Akron a 3-0 lead. Erie bounced right back as Ronnie Bourquin doubled and Andy Dirks a full count delivering from starter Jeanmar Gomez into the bleachers in right field to cut the deficit to a single run. Bourquin ignited a second Erie rally to tie it up in the fourth, as he drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on an RBI single by Shawn Roof to tie the game at 3-3.

The rivals would exchange a pair of runs in the fifth that would keep the game tied well into extra innings. Backup catcher Armando Camacaro nailed a double down the left field line to start things for the Aeros, while Haines and Jose Constanza recorded back-to-back singles while a Cristo Arnal groundout made the score 5-3. Two singles and three walks in the fifth inning for the SeaWolves knotted the game back up at 5-5. Left-handed reliever Matt Meyer came in to strand a runner on third in the tenth, but then allowed the walk-off home run by Boesch with one-out in the eleventh to end it.

Erie closer Cody Satterwhite (4-5) earned the win in game two by providing the final two shutout innings, and Meyer (0-1) took the loss despite helping to bring the game to the eleventh frame in the first place. Drennen had another two-hit performance, finishing 2-4 with a double, as he batted .438 (7-16) in the series while Camacaro picked up a pair of hits as well, extending his hitting streak to a season-high four games.

K-Tribe fall 9-4

The K-Tribe got a solid start from pitcher Mike McGuire, who went four innings giving up just four hits and no runs. McGuire struck out four and did not walk a batter.

Kinston started the scoring in the bottom of the third inning when Cord Phelps singled, stole second and was then driven home by an Ole Sheldon RBI single. Kinston would take a 2-0 lead when Tim Fedroff scored on a Winston-Salem error in the fourth inning.

In the fifth inning Winston-Salem would capitalize on a K-Tribe mistake to take the lead for good. With two-on, two-out, Kinston’s Lonnie Chisenhall threw low to first base on a ground ball from Dale Mollenhauer (2-for-5, two runs scored). Chisenhall was charged with an error, allowing a run to score. The mistake was magnified when Justin Greene stepped up and belted a two RBI single to give the Dash a 3-2 lead. The Dash would add four more runs on back-to-back, two-out, RBI singles in the seventh inning. Kinston pitcher Bryce Stowell (1-5) would be charged with the seven runs (four earned) on eight hits in three innings for the loss. Reliever Garrison Campfield gave up a two-run home run to Brent Morel in the top of the ninth as the Dash finished their scoring. Kinston would add two final runs to their total in the bottom of the frame with a two RBI single from Roman Pena.

Kinston racked up eleven hits in the game, leaving 14 men on base. Kinston has not won back-to-back games at Historic Grainger Stadium since May 8^th and 9^th, a span of 30 games. The K-Tribe is 7-23 over that span.

Captains and Legends split double header

Lake County Captains earned a split of a doubleheader with the Lexington Legends on Thursday. Lexington won game one 2-1 in eight innings and the Captains won the night cap 3-2.

In game one, The Legends scored a run in the a run in the bottom of the second inning when Captains starter T.J. House walked Reinaldo Pestana with the bases loaded and the Legends led 1-0. The Captains tied it up in the top of the fifth inning when John Allman doubled and scored on a single by Dan DeGeorge and it was 1-1. Chris Jackson singled home Jorge De Leon in the bottom of the eighth inning to drive in the winning run. De Leon pinch ran for Pestana who had reached on an error.

Captains' starter T.J. House did not get a decision going five innings and allowing one run on one hit, walking four and striking out five. Travis Turek (1-2) took the loss working 2.1 innings and allowing the one unearned run on one hit while striking out one. Legends starter David Duncan (1-1) did not factor in the decision pitching seven innings allowing one run on seven hits, while striking out seven. Kyle Godfrey (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to get the win.

In game two, The Captains scored a run in the top of the fourth inning when Karexon Sanchez scored from third base when DeGeorge grounded out and the Captains led 1-0. The Legends tied it up in the bottom of the fifth inning when Andy Simunic singled and two batters later Jeff Hulett doubled. It was Hulett's fist hit as a Legend.

The Captains regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Michael Valdez doubled home Chris Nash and DeGeorge and the Captains led 3-1. The Legends cut the lead to 3-2 when Brian Pellegrini hit is 14th home run of the year off of Captains reliever Matt Langwell.

Captains' starter Kaimi Mead (2-2) got the win going five innings and allowing one runs on four hits, walking two and striking out three. Steve Smith pitched a scoreless seventh inning to pick up his sixteenth save of the year. Legends starter Robert Bono (8-7) took the loss pitching 5.1 innings allowing three runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out two.

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