Clutch Hits Lead Erie to 8-6 Win
July 5, 2012 - Eastern League (EL1)
Erie SeaWolves News Release
Rare ineffectiveness by the Akron bullpen helped Erie to a victory Thursday night. Homeruns, errors, and wild pitches led to a high scoring affair, with the SeaWolves winning 8-6.
Erie jumped on the board first in the third with three runs on one swing of the bat, as Nick Castellanos drilled his fourth homer of the year - a two-out, three-run shot. SeaWolves starter James Avery shutout the Aeros through 4 2/3 innings. With two outs in the fifth, Matt Lawson and Tyler Holt - called up by Akron from Single-A Carolina before Thursday's game - reached on back-to-back bunt singles. Thomas Neal then singled to center, scoring Lawson. Chun Chen was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Nick Weglarz singled to center, scoring Holt. Neal was thrown out at home by Jamie Johnson, preserving the 3-2 Erie lead.
In the top of the sixth, the Aeros would take the lead on Avery and the 'Wolves when Adam Abraham launched his seventh homer of the year, a two-run blast, making it a 4-3 game. Akron wouldn't hold the lead long. In the SeaWolves half of the sixth, Avisail Garcia and Rawley Bishop each ripped one-out singles. The Aeros would make the call to the pen, bringing in the usually dependable Loek Van Mil to replace starter T.J. House. The first batter Van Mil faced, Brandon Douglas, saw four pitches, all balls - one of which was a wild pitch that allowed Garcia to score. Bishop would come around to score on a James McCann bloop single to center. After striking out Michael Rockett, Van Mil had another pitch get away from him, enabling Douglas to score from third, giving Erie a 6-4 lead.
Erie's lead lasted a total of three Akron at bats. Holt led off the seventh with a single, and scored on a Chen homer, his third, off of Jared Gayhart. Akron reliever Bryan Price pitched a scoreless seventh and came back out for the eighth. Bishop greeted him with a lead off single, then stole second for his eleventh steal of the year. Douglas came up next and laid down a sacrifice bunt to Price, which he rifled well over the head of the first baseman, Chen, allowing Bishop to score. Douglas reached second on the play, advanced to third on a McCann fly out, and scored on a ground out to second by Johnson.
Erie closer Bruce Rondon worked a scoreless ninth, picking up his seventh save and preserving the win for the SeaWolves. The win went to Ryan Robowski (1-0), with the loss going to Price (2-3). Erie and Akron wrap up their three-game series on Friday night with a 7:05 pm game. SeaWolves lefty Ramon Garcia (6-7, 3.84 ERA) looks to continue his dominance of Akron. The Aeros will counter with Giovanni Soto (5-5, 3.98 ERA).
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