EL Akron RubberDucks

Freeman's 5 Hits, McCarthy's 8 K's Lead Ducks Past SeaWolves, 9-2

Published on May 15, 2021 under Eastern League (EL)
Akron RubberDucks News Release


Shortstop Tyler Freeman had his first career high five-hit game - and the first by an Akron RubberDuck in nearly three years - leading a season-high 17-hit output in a 9-2 victory over the Erie SeaWolves in the fifth game of a six-game series at UPMC Park on Saturday. Right-hander Shane McCarthy went 4 2/3 scoreless innings, posting the first eight-strikeout game by a RubberDuck this season, as Akron tallied a season-high 16 strikeouts, snapping a three-game losing streak.

Turning Point

In a scoreless game in the second inning, center fielder Will Benson hit his first home run of the season - a one-out solo shot to right field off Erie right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. Second baseman José Fermín hit an infield single, Leiter hit third baseman Marcos González with a pitch, and two batters later, Freeman hit a two-out RBI single for a 2-0 Akron lead.

Mound Presence

McCarthy worked around two walks and a fourth-inning single in his 4 2/3 innings. Left-hander Skylar Árias got the last out of the fifth inning but allowed a walk and two singles for an Erie run in the sixth. Left-hander Jake Miednik came in with the tying run at bat and got right fielder Jacob Robson to ground out, then struck out third baseman Drew Ward and first baseman Josh Lester with two runners in scoring position. Miednik struck out the side around a walk in the seventh inning. Right-hander Nick Mikolajchak struck out two batters in a scoreless eighth inning, and right-hander Juan Móta shook off a ninth-inning leadoff home run and tallied the last of the team's season-high 16 strikeouts to end the game.

Duck Tales

Freeman sparked a fifth-inning rally with a leadoff single, left fielder Richie Palacios had a bunt single, and catcher Bo Naylor drove an RBI double that one-hopped the right-center-field fence. Benson added an RBI single to make it 4-0. In the eighth, Marcos González hit his first regular season home run since April 13, 2019. In the ninth, second baseman Jose Fermín hit an RBI single - his third hit - and Freeman hit a two-run single, capping his five-hit, three-RBI day.

Notebook

Freeman has a seven-game hitting streak...The last RubberDuck five-hit game was June 17, 2018, by Tyler Krieger in Reading...Akron's last 17-hit game was May 29, 2019, at Bowie...The club's last 16-strikeout game was a 17-strikeout game July 31, 2019, at home against New Hampshire...Time of game: 3:28 (longest of the season)...Attendance: 1,844.

On the Pond

The RubberDucks conclude their six-game series in Erie at 1:35 p.m. EDT Sunday. Akron LHP Eli Lingos (1-0, 1.13) is scheduled to start. The game broadcast, powered by FirstEnergy, is on 640 WHLO, the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel, and akronrubberducks.com, and available on MiLB.TV. Tickets for RubberDucks home games are available at akronrubberducks.com/tickets.

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Eastern League Stories from May 15, 2021


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