EL1 Akron RubberDucks

Von Schamann Brilliant in RubberDucks' Win

Published on July 25, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
Akron RubberDucks News Release


(Reading, Pa.) Akron righthander Duke von Schamann rode to the rescue for the RubberDucks Friday night, serving up seven shutout innings in a 5-0 victory over the Reading Fightin Phils at First Energy Stadium.

Von Schamann teamed with lefty Elvis Araujo to blank the Fightins on three harmless singles. The win snapped Akron's eight-game losing streak, and helped the RubberDucks gain a game on first-place Richmond, who lost at Erie, 2-0. Third- place Bowie also lost, falling 3-1 versus Altoona. Thus, Akron is 6 � games out of first, but now holds a 3 � game lead over the Baysox with 35 games left in the regular season.

A starting pitching performace like von Schamann delivered Friday was exactly what the team, and the righthander himself, needed. While he halted Akron's eight-game skid, von Schamann also snapped a personal, six-game losing streak. He had not experienced a win since a June 9th victory against Binghamton. On Friday, he was practically unhittable, keeping the Reading hitters off balance with a combination of off-speed pitches and impeccable location with his fastball. Of his 85 pitches, 65 were strikes.

In two starts against the Fightins this season, von Schamann (4-6) has tossed 14 2/3 scoreless innings. That dominance continued Friday when he walked none and fanned three. He retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced, including the final eight in a row. Araujo completed the whitewash with two scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 ninth.

The RubberDucks (58-49) got all the offense they would need in the first inning on Bryan LaHair's RBI double off Reading starter Adam Loewen (1-4). LaHair added an RBI single in the 3rd, and the RubberDucks doubled the lead to 4-0 in the sixth on RBI's by Tony Wolters and Jake Lowery. Justin Toole capped the scoring with an RBI double in the ninth, his second such hit of the series.

After going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position Thursday, the RubberDucks were a far more opportunistic, 3-for-9 on Friday. Another positive development for Akron was the return of shortstop Erik Gonzalez to the lineup. Gonzalez missed the last two games with a sore right hip, but played Friday and went 1-5, with a single and run scored.

The RubberDucks and Fightins (43-60) will play game three of the series on Saturday evening at 6:35. RHP Joe Colon (8-5, 2.50) is scheduled to start for Akron, while the Fightins have tabbed LHP Hoby Milner (5-5, 4.79). The game will be broadcast on WARF 1350 AM and www.AkronRubberDucks.com.

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Eastern League Stories from July 25, 2014


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