July 25: RubberDucks Hold Off Richmond Flying Squirrels, 3-2, In Series Finale

Akron RubberDucks 3 (43-27) – Richmond Flying Squirrels 2 (38-34)

WP: Juan Hillman (7-2) LP: Michael Plassmeyer (3-5) Save: Ben Krauth (1)

Summary

The Akron RubberDucks offense gave just enough run support to earn Juan Hillman his league-leading seventh win of the season, 3-2, in Sunday’s series finale at Canal Park.

Turning Point

The RubberDucks offense finally got off the ground in the fifth inning as they plated their only three runs of the ballgame, which included a Will Benson line drive into right field and a Steven Kwan sacrifice fly to put the Ducks up 3-1.

Mound Presence

Juan Hillman took the bump for the RubberDucks and posted his longest outing since June 22, going six innings of work. The Ducks ace only allowed a total of four base hits and two walks, while striking out five batters on only 62 total pitches. Thomas Ponticelli once again showed his versality for the Ducks as he came on in relief for Hillman, going 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out three Flying Squirrels. When Ponticelli ran into trouble in the top of the ninth, Ben Krauth slammed the door shut for the Ducks, striking out the only batter he faced and preserved the 3-2 victory for the good guys.

Duck Tales

Akron once again utilized a multi-run inning in Sunday’s victory, and pulled their record in one-run games to 11-11 on the season. The Ducks continued their dominance at the friendly confines of Canal Park as they improved their home record to 25-11, adding yet another series victory to their first place standing. The RubberDucks only left four runners on base despite posting a 1-for-6 line with runners in scoring position.

Time of Game: 2:17 … Attendance: 4,088

On the Pond

The RubberDucks will now hit the road to take on the Erie SeaWolves for a six-game set in Pennsylvania. The Ducks will return to the Rubber city August 3-August 8 as Union Home Mortgage welcomes fans back home to Canal Park. The game broadcast, powered by FirstEnergy, is on 640 WHLO, the WHLO iHeartRadio channel, and the TuneIn Radio App, and available on MiLB.TV.