AKRON, Ohio—The overcast, cool Tuesday evening gave fans the perfect day to attend Canal Park. The Akron RubberDucks hosted the 51-50 Bowie Baysox for the first of a five-day series, taking the first game of seven thanks to an RBI single.
RubberDucks infielder Micah Pries struck the blow to Bowie’s MiLB-leading nine-game winning streak—handing Akron a 6-5 win.
Bryan and Brayan on the Scoreboard
It was the bottom of the first inning. Akron’s Brayan Rocchio and Bryan Lavastida were both on base when Jhonkensy Noel stepped to the plate. With two outs, Noel singled on a live drive to center field that sent his teammates home. Rocchio scored his 56th run of the season while Lavastida earned his eighth.
All that mattered to fans at Canal Park was that their team took a 2-0 lead back to the dugout after the first inning.
Árias Struggles in Third Inning
Despite the strong start, Akron’s lead was short-lived. Jaime Árias allowed two walks and a home run that contributed to a four-run inning for Bowie’s offense. Akron trailed 4-2 heading into the fourth.
This forced RubberDucks Manager Rouglas Odor to change pitchers to 25-year-old Robert Broom.
RubberDucks Rebound
The RubberDucks’ dynamic duo of Rocchio and Lavastida spark plugged a comeback in the bottom of the fifth.
Facing a 3-2 pitch, Lavastida singled on a grounder to center field, allowing Rocchio to secure his second run of the evening, cutting the lead in half in no time.
Broom’s Insertion Plays Pivotal Role
Although he played in just a little over two innings, Broom was critical in Akron’s efforts. After what looked like a disaster on the horizon from Árias’s unfavorable third inning, Broom stepped in as the calming force for his team.
“We always have a plan. [We] sit down, before the game, with Owen Dew [Akron’s pitching coach] and we have an idea,” said Odor. “So early in the game [for example], if we get in trouble, Broom is going to be the one or [someone else]. We were ready for it.”
Broom finished the evening with three strikeouts and a 3.25 ERA.
An Ending for the Ages
Akron closed the game with Randy Labaut, who was the fourth pitcher to take the mound in the evening.
Heading into the bottom of the ninth and down 5-3, the RubberDucks had one last chance to salvage the game. Akron had two runners on, with Brayan Rocchio at the plate. And with the game at stake on a 3-2 pitch, he delivered.
Rocchio singled on a line drive that flew into right field and allowed Daniel Schneemann to score, and the clutch hitting did not stop there.
Bryan Lavastida smashed another line drive into that same area of the field, allowing Angel Lopez to cross home plate to make it a tie game.
24-year-old Micah Pries came up to face the Bowie Baysox’s pitching change of Easton Lucas. He sent Canal Park home happy with an RBI single that allowed Brayan Rocchio to score the game-winning run.
With the win, the RubberDucks improved to a 56-45 record. They sit in second place in the MiLB Eastern League Southwest’s overall standings.
Upcoming Schedule
The RubberDucks and Baysox continue their series in Akron on Wednesday. Gavin Williams (1.98 ERA) is expected to take the mound for the RubberDucks.
It will be Williams’s fifth career start. He owns a 1-3 record in his previous four.
Game time is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. EST from Canal Park.
