Aeros Walk-off with Thrilling 7-6 Win
Published on May 23, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release
AKRON, OH - The Aeros came back from 4-0 and 6-5 deficits to defeat the Erie SeaWolves Saturday night at Canal Park in front of 7,827 fans. A two-out single by Beau Mills in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Akron the sensational victory, and increased its Southern Division lead to 6.5 games over Erie. The Aeros improved to 30-10 with the win, while the SeaWolves dropped to 24-17.
Erie got on the board early and often, as they erupted for three runs in the top of the first inning against Aeros starter Ryan Edell. Three straight hits with one away loaded the bases, and Brennan Boesch then beat out a potential double play ball to make it 1-0. Alex Avila then blooped a two-out, two-run double down the left field line to push the lead to 3-0, but Edell retired Santo de Leon on a fly to right to end the inning. Edell worked around a leadoff double in the second, but another run came around for the visitors in the fourth when a sacrifice fly by Scott Sizemore bumped the lead up to four runs. The Aeros struck back in the bottom half of that inning though, as Matt McBride (celebrating his 24th birthday) and Nick Weglarz delivered back-to-back RBI singles to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.
The lead completely disappeared for Erie in the fifth, when the Aeros scored three runs in an impressive two-out rally. With Jose Constanza on second base and two gone, Mills extended the inning with a single to right and Carlos Santana proceeded plate both runners with a double to the wall in right-center. McBride then put Akron in front for the first time in the series with an RBI single to make it 5-4, but the SeaWolves immediately returned the favor, putting a two-spot on the board in the top of the sixth. Avila continued his big night with a home run to right field on the first pitch of the inning from reliever Erik Stiller, and Joe Tucker then hit a one-out double to left. Max Leon eventually plated him with a single, bringing Erie back in the lead by a single run at 6-5.
Akron responded with a clutch run in the eighth inning, as all the damage came with two outs yet again. A walk by McBride was the rally starter, and Weglarz then hit a towering drive to right field which bounced off the top of the wall and brought McBride all the way around to score. The Aeros then completed the comeback in the ninth, as back-to-back walks to Head and Constanza and a groundout by Carlos Rivero brought men to second and third with two out. Mills then became the hero by lining a 1-2 pitch to right, scoring Head and giving Akron the walk-off 7-6 victory in stunning fashion.
Vinnie Pestano (2-0) earned the win in relief, skating around a first-and-third situation while turning his fourth straight scoreless outing. Cody Satterwhite (1-3) suffered the loss, permitting the winning run in the ninth. Edell lasted just four innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, but kept the Aeros in the game by stranding four men in scoring position. All of the 3-6 hitters in the Akron lineup had two-hit games on the night, as Mills, Santana, McBride and Weglarz enabled the Aeros to finish 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Game three of this four-game set takes place Sunday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. The first 2,000 fans will receive a free Aeros baseball courtesy of BPI Information Systems, and it will be Pro Football Hall of Fame Day at Canal Park featuring HOFer and former Browns offensive lineman Joe DeLamielleure. Red-hot Texas native Josh Tomlin (5-1, 3.46 ERA) will make the start for Akron against left-hander Duane Below (0-0, 3.60 ERA) of Erie. The broadcast begins at 1:20 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 WARF-AM and online at www.akronaeros.com. For more information, please call the Aeros at (330) 253-5151.
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