Game Recap 7/18: Aeros Complete Sweep

Aeros Complete Sweep, Route SeaWolves 11-2

Setting several new season-highs yet again Sunday afternoon, the Akron Aeros dominated the Erie SeaWolves by the final score of 11-2 at Canal Park. The victory in front of 2,717 fans marked Akron’s first four-game series sweep of 2010, with the last coming on the final series of 2009 against Erie. The Aeros slugged 19 hits and seven doubles Sunday, both new yearly records, while matching the top mark with their nine-run margin of victory. Akron’s win improved the team’s record to 49-45 while the struggling last-place SeaWolves (38-57) fell to a season-low 19 games below .500 with the loss.

Oddly enough, Erie actually scored first in the ballgame against left-handed Aeros starter Scott Barnes. The visitors rallied in the top of the second inning as Rawley Bishop drew a leadoff walk and Michael Bertram scored him all the way from first base with a double. A Justin Henry single later scored Bertram to provide for the quick 2-0 margin.

Akron would promptly record 11 unanswered runs to end the game and started with a single tally in the bottom of that second. Designated hitter Jerad Head began his big day with a double to center and quickly scored on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Carlos Rivero.

Thad Weber limited the Aeros for the next several innings as both him and Barnes continued the early pitcher’s duel. The home team then exploded in the sixth, knocking out Weber with three hits in the first four batters. Catcher Damaso Espino collected the biggest hit of the frame, giving Akron a 5-2 advantage with a two-out, two-run single.

The blowout continued as the lead stretched to six with three more runs in the next inning. Jason Kipnis started the seventh with a single against new pitcher Luis Marte, Jerad Head singled as well and Rivero collected two RBI with a double to left-center. Drennen also picked up another clutch two-out single before the offense kept going in the eighth.

Leadoff left fielder Tim Fedroff’s one-out double ignited the final attack of the afternoon and he later scored on a Lonnie Chisenhall single. Head then doubled home another run to make it 10-2 and Beau Mills provided the final blast with yet another RBI two-bagger.

Barnes (5-8) earned the win in allowing two runs on three hits with four strikeouts through six innings pitched. His impressive outing was his fourth consecutive quality start, tying another 2010 Akron record twice set by Alex White. Weber (6-10) took the loss while the Aeros pounded the Erie bullpen for seven runs on 10 hits in the final 2.2 innings. Relievers Chen-Chang Lee and Shane Lindsay then closed the door with three shutout frames.

Head’s four hits tied another top total for the year and became the first Akron player to score four runs during a contest during this regular season as well. Every single player in the lineup finished with at least one hit while seven had multi-hit performances, led by the two doubles from both Head and Mills, again tying offensive records in 2010.

Pitching helps Clippers earn series split, 1-0

The Clippers scored an early run Sunday night at Norfolk and then made it hold up with David Huff, Bryce Stowell and Vinnie Pestano teaming for a two-hit shutout, as Columbus earned a split of their four-game set with the Tides, 1-0.

The game's lone run came in the second inning, when Wes Hodges and Cord Phelps both singled, then Hodges scored on a misplay by Tides' shortstop Robert Andino, who was trying to turn a double-play off the bat of Lou Marson, but couldn't corral the ball at second base.

Huff, who was scratched from his start two nights ago in anticipation of a potential trip to Cleveland, improved to 4-0 with Columbus. He allowed two hits, walked three and struck out three in seven innings of work.

Stowell and Pestano pitched perfect eighth and ninth innings, respectively, with Pestano picking up his seventh save in the process.

The Clippers had 10 hits as a team, led by two apiece from Hodges, Nick Weglarz and Cord Phelps. Zach Clark, the Tides' starter who allowed seven of those 10 hits, fell to 0-5 on the season.

Cedar Rapids Rolls by Captains 18-11

Lake County was stunned on Sunday afternoon by Cedar Rapids losing by the final of 18-11. The Captains led 11-3 heading into the seventh inning alone to see the Kernels send 20 hitters to the plate and score 14 runs in the inning. Jon Karsich's solo homerun in his second at bat in the inning gave Cedar Rapids the lead for good.

Lake County came out firing scoring five runs in the first inning; Casey Frawley doubled in Delvi Cid and Argenis Martinez to make it 2-0. After an Adam Abraham's base hit, Chris Kersten hit a three run homerun to put the Captains up 5-0.

Casey Frawley drove in his third run of the game in second inning giving Lake County the lead 6-0 with a sacrifice fly to leftfield to score Delvi Cid who singled and stole a base.

In the fifth inning Adam Abraham hit a 2-run homerun with Frawley aboard, it was his fifth of the season and made it 8-0. Greg Folgia drove in Kyle Smith with an RBI base hit, one of three hits for Folgia on the day to make it 9-0.

Burnette's errors cost Scrappers in game two

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers lost 4-3 to the Williamsport Crosscutters tonight at Eastwood Field.

Chase Burnette made two errors in the ninth inning that later led to the Crosscutters taking the lead. Jim Klocke's pinch hit two-RBI triple allowed both of the runners, who reached on Burnettes error, to score.

Williamsport added a fourth run later in the inning.

Dale Dickerson blew the save in the ninth and picked up the loss for the Scrappers.

Chase Johnson came in from the bullpen for the Crosscutters and picked up his first win of the season.

Jake Borup got the save for Williamsport.

Note: The K-Tribe had a scheduled night off.

Posted in: