Sports stats



EL Akron RubberDucks

Bryan Lavastida, Brayan Rocchio Rock SeaWolves in Double-A Debut, 11-5

July 31, 2021 - Eastern League (EL)
Akron RubberDucks News Release


A new-look RubberDucks squad took on a familiar foe in a back-and-forth affair with the Erie SeaWolves, coming out on top 11-5 in the Double-A debut of Bryan Rocchio and Bryan Lavastida.

Turning Point

Already holdling onto a 2-1 lead, the RubberDucks methodically chipped away at the Erie SeaWolves in the top of the sixth, culminating in a Bo Naylor Grand Slam. The inning began with a Steven Kwan single to right, a Brayan Rocchio line drive single to center, and then a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield for Bryan Lavastida. After back-to-back Akron strikeouts, Bo Naylor worked the count full against Cale Coshow and smacked an inside fastball just beyond the right field wall to give the Ducks a 6-1 lead.

Mound Presence

Juan Hillman took the mound for Manager Rouglas Odor and the RubberDucks in search of his eighth victory in only 16 appearances in the 2021 campaign. Despite a leadoff hit by pitch followed by an RBI single from Erie's Spencer Torkelson in the bottom of the first, Hillman fought his way through 6.2 innings, allowing eleven hits and five earned runs. The potent SeaWolves offense worked deep counts against the Ducks lefthander, but ultimately avoided doing true damage as they were only 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded six runners on base. Dakody Klemmer came on in relief of Hillman and retired Dillon Dingler to end a SeaWolves threat in the bottom half of the seventh. In the eighth, Klemmer walked the leadoff man and then came back with three straight soft-contact outs, none of which left the infield. Jake Miednik finished off the pitching efforts for the Ducks in the ninth, working around a leadoff double but keeping Erie off the scoreboard to finish off the win for Akron.

Duck Tales & Notebook

Following a slew of roster moves in the recent days that sent Tyler Freeman to the injured list, Richie Palacios to Triple-A Columbus, and both Brayan Rocchio and Bryan Lavastida to Double-A Akron, the RubberDucks' new-look lineup exploded for a double-digit offensive output. Bryan Lavastida didn't take long to introduce himself to Double-A pitching as he laced a line drive single into left field. Reliable starter Will Benson knocked his twelfth HR of the season out of the park in the third to put the Ducks ahead in the third 2-1 over the SeaWolves. Then came the big blow from Akron. With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the 6th, Bo Naylor hit a laser over the right field wall for a Grand Slam, putting the Ducks firmly ahead 6-1 after six. That homer marked Naylor's fifth of the season and put him up to 24 RBIs, showing a strong power output since his appearance in the SiriusFM Futures Game. Akron would immediately outdo its four runs in the sixth with five runs in the seventh. Bryan Lavastida began the scoring onslaught with a three-run dinger followed by Naylor's second of the game, this time just a two-run blast to put the good guys up for good 11-5.

Time of Game 3:06 ... Attendance: 4,724

On the Pond

The RubberDucks will try to dodge forecasted rain in Erie tomorrow and conclude their series with the SeaWolves on Sunday, August 1 at 1:35 PM. After Sunday's finale, the RubberDucks will return to the Rubber City to take on the Altoona Curve as Union Home Mortgage welcomes fans back home to Canal Park. The game broadcast, powered by FirstEnergy, is on 640 WHLO, the WHLO iHeartRadio channel, and the TuneIn Radio App, and available on MiLB.TV.

Check out the Akron RubberDucks Statistics



Eastern League Stories from July 31, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central