Panther Beats SeaWolves in Ninth
Published on May 26, 2008 under Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
AKRON, OH - Nathan Panther lined a double down the right-field line and Chris Gimenez slid his hand over the plate just past the tag of catcher Dusty Ryan as the Aeros claimed a 4-3 win over Erie before a season-high crowd of 9,109 fans at Canal Park on Memorial Day. The Aeros pushed their record to 24-23 and finished 6-2 on their eight-game homestand, while the SeaWolves fell to 19-31.
Panther put Akron on the board early, capping a two-out rally in the bottom of the first. Gimenez and Wes Hodges drew back-to-back walks with two gone, and Panther followed by knocking a solid line drive up the middle for a 1-0 lead. Erie responded to tie the game in the second off Akron starter David Huff, who entered the game with a 1.07 ERA in his last seven appearances. Jeff Frazier led off with a single and Ryan followed with an RBI double to knot the score at 1-1. Erie then took the lead in the third, as Frazier singled home Danny Worth to make it 2-1.
Akron tied the game in the bottom of the third with an unearned run. Hodges reached on an infield single with one out, and moved to second on a Panther groundout. Matt Whitney then hit a grounder to third that looked like it would end the inning, but Kody Kirkland's low throw scooted past Ryan Roberson at first, allowing Hodges to score. Whitney then gave Akron the lead in the fifth, when he stroked an RBI single to left to score Gimenez and make it 3-2 Akron. It was only Whitney's fifth hit with runners in scoring position in 49 at-bats, but his second of the series.
Jeff Stevens worked 2.1 perfect innings of relief to set-up for closer Randy Newsom, but the side-armer suffered through some uncharacteristic wildness while blowing his first save of the season. Newsom's first offering in the ninth clipped Roberson's foot, but Justin Justice followed with a one-hopper back to Newsom. Newsom couldn't start the double play however, as his throw sailed over the head of shortstop Josh Rodriguez at the second base bag and into center field to put runners at first and second. Kirkland moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, and Newsom intentionally walked Max Leon to load the bases. Worth then hit a grounder to Brandon Pinckney at second, but there wasn't enough pace on the ball for the Aeros to turn two as pinch-runner Will Rhymes came home with the tying run.
Undaunted, Gimenez yanked a one-out single to left to start the winning rally in the bottom half of the frame. Erie reliever Angel Castro struck out Hodges for the second out after a long battle, but left a 2-1 fastball up in the zone that Panther promptly roped into the right-field corner. Leon made a strong relay throw to the plate, but Gimenez got his left hand around Ryan's tag as the sellout crowd celebrated the walk-off win.
Newsom (2-0), who still has not allowed an earned run since April 6th, got the win despite the blown save, and Castro (1-1) took the loss. Huff tossed 5.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits, while striking out six and walking three. Gimenez extended his hitting streak to 11 games and scored three runs, while Hodges (two hits) and Panther (three hits) went a combined 5-9 in the middle of the lineup.
The Aeros now head to Harrisburg for a double header Tuesday at 5:05 p.m. to open a four-game, three-day series. Chuck Lofgren (1-3, 5.62 ERA) will face off against Harrisburg's Jordan Zimmerman (1-1, 2.76 ERA) in game one, and in game two the Aeros will send J.D. Martin (4-2, 5.14 ERA) opposite Harrisburg's Marco Estrada (5-2, 2.45 ERA). The game broadcast begins at 4:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com. For more information, please call the Aeros at (330) 253-5151.
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