Sept. 14: Fermín's 6 RBI lead Ducks to 8-6 comeback win over Patriots

Double-A Northeast League Standings

Akron RubberDucks (71-43) 8, Somerset Patriots (69-45) 6 | Box Score

WP: Nic Enright (3-4) LP: Zach Greene (2-5) Save: N/A

Summary

Akron second baseman José Fermín homered and drove in a career-high six runs, leading the RubberDucks to seven unanswered runs that erased a 6-1 deficit in an 8-6 comeback win over the Somerset Patriots in the opener of the season’s final six-game series Tuesday at Canal Park. Akron reduced its playoff magic number to four with the victory.

Turning Point

Having closed within 6-4 in the seventh, Akron completed the comeback in the eighth. Singles by Bo Naylor, Victor Nova and Will Brennan loaded the bases for Brayan Rocchio, who singled to left field, bringing Akron within 6-5. Fermín then lined a double down the first-base line to unload the bases and give Akron the 8-6 lead.

BOT 8: Getting closer! @rocchio05 brings us within one!

SOMERSET 6 - AKRON 5 pic.twitter.com/JgBpkPRom9

— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) September 14, 2021

BOT 8: JOSE JOSE JOSE!!! @JoseFermin29 unloads the bases with a double to give us the lead!

AKRON 8 - SOMERSET 6 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/4awD0K9vkl

— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) September 14, 2021

Mound Presence

Logan Allen allowed a three-run homer to Dermis Garcia and a solo homer to Chad Bell in the first inning for a 4-0 Patriots lead, but he settled in to retire 11 of 12 batters before allowing a fifth-inning solo home run to Brandon Lockridge. Allen finished five innings, allowing five runs on four hits while striking out eight batters. Jake Miednik followed with two innings of work, allowing just one run in the sixth. Nic Enright went the last two scoreless innings with two walks and two strikeouts to earn the win, stranding the tying runs on base to end the game.

Duck Tales

After threatening with baserunners in each of the first two innings, Akron got on the board with George Valera’s third-inning, two-out RBI single to make it 4-1. In the seventh inning, after a single by Clark Scolamiero and a throwing error by Somerset second baseman Jesus Bastidas, Fermín drove a three-run home run off the batter’s eye in center field to bring Akron within 6-4. The RubberDucks left nine on base while going 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

BOT 3: We are on the board! @GV13__ lines this one the other way to trim the deficit!

SOMERSET 4 - AKRON 1 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/VJLyXju7JQ

— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) September 14, 2021

BOT 7: NUMBER ONE FOR THREE! @JoseFermin29 bangs one off the batters eye to bring us within two!

SOMERSET 6 - AKRON 4 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/XtEGcVdmp7

— Akron RubberDucks 🐤 (@AkronRubberDuck) September 14, 2021

Notebook

The win put Akron two games ahead of Somerset for the league’s top playoff spot with five games remaining. Somerset led Bowie by a half-game for the final playoff spot ahead of the Baysox home doubleheader with Altoona Tuesday night…Rocchio and Valera each extended seven-game hitting streaks…Akron leads the season series with Somerset, 4-3. The Patriots have hit 15 homers in the first seven games of the season series…Game Time: 2:58…Attendance: 2,289.

On the Pond

Union Home Mortgage Welcomes You Home To Canal Park for the six-game RubberDucks homestand with the Somerset Patriots, continuing Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. EDT. Right-hander Peyton Battenfield (2-1, 2.25 ERA) is scheduled to start against Patriots right-hander Jhony Brito (2-3, 4.65 ERA). 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.