Sept. 24: Game 3: Naylor's walk-off hit caps RubberDucks' comeback to win Double-A Northeast Championship
Game 3: Akron RubberDucks (3-0) 6, Bowie Baysox (0-3) 5 | Box Score WP: Ben Krauth (1-0) LP: Diogensis Almengo (0-1) Save: None Summary Rallying from down 5-0 through seven innings, the RubberDucks came back to walk off the Bowie Baysox, 6-5, on Bo Naylor’s two-out, ninth-inning RBI single that
Game 3: Akron RubberDucks (3-0) 6, Bowie Baysox (0-3) 5 | Box Score
WP: Ben Krauth (1-0) LP: Diogensis Almengo (0-1) Save: None
Summary
Rallying from down 5-0 through seven innings, the RubberDucks came back to walk off the Bowie Baysox, 6-5, on Bo Naylor’s two-out, ninth-inning RBI single that won Game 3 and earned Akron a sweep of the Double-A Northeast Championship Series at Canal Park Friday night. The sixth championship in Akron franchise history was its first since 2016 and the first clinched at home since 2009.
Turning Point
In the bottom of the ninth, Will Brennan launched a leadoff 430-foot solo home run to right field to tie the game, 5-5. After a walk to Brayan Rocchio, a sacrifice by José Fermín, two intentional walks and a popout, Bo Naylor lined a two-out single down the right-field line for the 6-5 win.
BOT 9: TIED! @Silly_Willy18 with an no-doubt bomb to tie us up!
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) September 25, 2021
AKRON 5 - BOWIE 5 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/JXphSXhUex
Mound Presence
Konnor Pilkington allowed a leadoff walk to start the game before settling in and retiring the next nine in a row, including seven by strikeout. In total, Pilkington tossed five innings, allowing two unearned runs in the fifth inning on one hit while striking out nine batters, tying his season high. Thomas Ponticelli allowed one run in one inning. Tim Herrin allowed two runs while striking out three in a one-inning Akron debut. Manuel Alvarez and Ben Krauth each went a scoreless inning.
TOP 3: Good morning, good afternoon and good night! @KPilk48 strikes out the side in the third to give him 7 for the game!
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) September 24, 2021
AKRON 0 - BOWIE 0 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/XRnhm4bZve
Duck Tales
Trailing 5-0, Akron finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth. Fermín drew a one-out walk on 11 pitches, and after singles by Bryan Lavastida and George Valera, Jonathan Engelmann hit a ground ball to the second baseman Cadyn Grenier, who threw the ball away past second base, allowing Fermín and Lavastida to score and cut the lead to 5-2. Two batters later, José Tena hit a two-run single to right-center field to trim the Baysox lead to 5-4. Akron started the game 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position but went 3-for-7 in such situations in the eighth and ninth.
BOT 8: Don’t call it a comeback! A throwing error allows two to score!
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) September 25, 2021
BOWIE 5 - AKRON 2 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/izXfmgGs89
BOT 8: It’s Tena time! Jose Tena singles home two!!
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) September 25, 2021
BOWIE 5 - AKRON 4 #QuAkron pic.twitter.com/uy2UzUdXEK
Notebook
Akron won Eastern League titles in 2003, 2005, 2009, 2012, and 2016, with the first three being clinched at Canal Park…The RubberDucks’ season started with a walk-off home run on Opening Night May 4 by Oscar González and ended with a walk-off hit. Akron had three walk-off wins in the regular season…Ben Krauth, the winning pitcher in Game 3, was the only 2019 RubberDuck still with the team on its playoff roster…Game Time: 3:21…Attendance: 3,436.
CHAMPIONS!!! pic.twitter.com/RQfCRnpv9l
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) September 25, 2021
On the Pond
The RubberDucks will open the 2022 season on April 8 in Erie, with their home opener at Canal Park set for Tuesday, April 12. The RubberDucks’ full 138-game schedule for the 2022 season is available at akronrubberducks.com. Ticket information is also available by calling the RubberDucks’ ticket office at (330) 253-5153, or by emailing [email protected].